Will's Nightmare
by Masteroth
Summary: What if Jack was "evil"? And what if Will was his target? And what if it was all about lust? Lots of surprises and cliffhangers along the way! Please R&R! WARNING: SLASH, SMUT AND RAPE.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Disney

GENRE: SLASH / angst / oneshot

WARNING: Rated NC17 for rape/SLASH

A violent storm raged outside the thin walls of the dimly lit blacksmith. Will was effortlessly hammering on a piece of metal, which was slowly turning into a red glowing horse's shoe. Usually he made swords, but he always liked to try something new. One single candle was lit on a tiny wooden table next to the always faithful donkey, which a certain pirate had burned on its rear end some months ago. The mark wa sstill clearly visible.

"Poor thing...", Will muttered as he dropped the red hot shoe into a bucket of cold water and caressed the donkey. Will felt lonelier than ever... he hadn't seen Elizabeth for about three weeks now after her wedding with Norrington. They had sworn to keep being friends, but she seemed to have forgotten all about a certain blacksmith. It ached in his heart every time he thought of her... and no other woman could ever replace her. And he thought that she knew. Maybe that was why she had never come to see him? To avoid hurting him more? But he couldn't really believe that thought... she had forgotten about him. Will cleared his throat to supress a whimpering sound and a little harder than he had to he pulled a new piece of red glowing metal out of the oven and started hammering on it. The storm was whining outside the walls, making the thin planks slam repeatedly to and fro. That's why Will didn't hear the squeek of the heavy door being opened. However a loud squeal from the donkey was heard, and Will immediately spun around to face...

"Jack!", Will burst out and almost dropped the searing hot iron. He hadn't seen Jack for months - actually he had thought that he would never return. Luckily he had been mistaken and a smile decorated Will's lips as he stared at his best friend in the whole wide world... now that Elizabeth wasn't part of his world anymore, jack was defintely number one. Then Will looked a little closer at his pirate friend - his white shirt was soaking wet, see-through, and his leather trousers were clinging onto him.

"'Ello, mate. Long time no see, young William!", Jack burst out as he started to dangle towards Will, who now noticed the almost empty rum bottle in Jack's hand. Surprise, surprise - he was drunk again. But Will had never seen Jack THIS drunk, he had to admit.

"Jack... Are you alright?", Will asked concerned as he saw the glassy look in Jack's chocolate brown eyes. Jack merely let out a hoarse laugh, revealing his gold and silver teeth in the dim light of the candle. Jack then stopped, leaning against the small table:

"Better than ever, mate...!", Jack burst out and walked wobbly towards Will, who was just standing there looking perplexed. Jack's shirt was half-open - so was Will's in order to endure the intense heat from the oven. Covered in rain water Jack reached Will and gave him a clumsy hug - Will hugged him back, but something felt amiss. Not only was Jack cold and wet, but something about the look in his eyes Will didn't like.

"Jack, you need some dry clothes and some sleep", Will said as he gently broke the embrace. Jack just raised an eyebrow as he looked Will up and down. His glance rested too long on the young blacksmith's chest, but Will didn't notice.

"No, I don't... I need something else", Jack said and bit his lip lightly. Will frowned:

"What, Jack? What do you need?", Will asked and couldn't help but take a step backwards as Jack almost tumbled into him. They then gained eye contact again:

"I need...", Jack started, but he didn't finish the sentence. He just glared at Will.

"Jack... what is wrong?", Will asked, but Jack just shook his head:

"Everything is fine.. or it will be... Ye know the feeling?", Jack mumbled as he took another gulp of the rum bottle. Will blinked a few times. What on earth was the man rambling about? Will started to get concerned... Jack wasn't acting as he normally did...

"I know ye know the feelin', lad...", Jack said as he suddenly threw the rum bottle into the oven - it exploded with a loud sound and flames spat out of the oven. Will jumped in surprise:

"What are you doing??", Will burst out, starting to get a bit worried. Jack let out a loud grin as he edged himself closer to Will, ending up with Will's back hitting the planks in the end of the hot room. There they were standing, faces inches from each other, and Jack's skew smile finally made Will realize what was going on. But before he could say anything, his arms were suddenly pinned above his head.

"Jack!", Will gasped in surprise, but the word became muffled as Jack pressed his lips against Will's.

"Auuuch!!", Jack burst out as Will bit him hard on the lip, making Jack retreat a little. Blood now trickled from Jack's lower lip.

"Ye little bitch...", Jack whispered as he smacked Will on the cheekbone, making his head turn to the other side. Will's wet hair covered his face as Jack grabbed a hold of his jaw and forced Will to look at him through sweaty, dark brown strands of hair.

"Now listen... we both need something, don't we?", Jack gasped as he pressed himself against the younger man, who was trying to free his wrists - in vain.

"Jack, you can't do this! You are my friend, you couldn't...!!", Will started, but was interrupted when Jack's free hand suddenly cupped Will's balls in his brown leather trousers. Jack's breathing was getting harder and heavier... so was Will's - but not for the same reason.

"Jack, don't make me...!!", Will began again, but Jack interrupted him:

"Make ye do what, lad?", Jack spat as he suddenly flung Will down on the floor, which was covered with hay. Will landed hard on his stomach, and it knocked all of the air out of him. Gasping for breath he tried to get up on all fours - but before he knew it, Jack was on top of him, forcing him back down.

"Jack...! Don't...!", Will gasped as he tried to shake him off. He didn't succeeed though and he was still weak from the encounter with the floor. Suddenly he felt Jack's fingers loosening his leather belt, fast and curiously. This just couldn't be real?? Jack laughed once more as he managed to pull down Will's trousers a few inches, exposing his smooth buttocks and crack. Jack smacked him on the right buttock and Will jumped.

"Why are you doing this??", Will yelled, but he was immediately silenced when Jack stuffed a rag in his mouth and fastened it behind his head. Only muffled sounds escaped Will now, and Jack was rather plased with that. Couldn't get caught doing this...

A punch in the kidney sent Will back down on the floor, moaning through the rag in his mouth. He almost became completely limp, which suited Jack just fine. Now he could start working on him. Grabbing both of Will's arms Jack dragged him across the floor to the little table, where he flung him up on it stomach first. Another sound escaped through the rag. Now Jack furiously teared at Will's trousers and shirt - and within a few seconds Will was completely naked. Will's mind was racing... what could he have done to anger Jack this way? Had he even done anything?? He had noticed how Jack had been looking at him those months ago, but he had thought that it was nothing. Obviously it hadn't been nothing. It had been lust.

Suddenly Will felt something warm and hard between his buttocks... 'oh god, no!!', Will's mind screamed and he buckled - but Jack had tied his wrists to the legs of the table... same with his ankles.

"Aww, so sweet", Jack mumbled and the rum breath made Will's eyes run with water. But they were already.

"I want to hear ye scream, boy", Jack groaned as he tore the rag out of Will's mouth - he didn't care if anyone heard them. Jack then pressed his hard member against Will...

"Nooooo, Jack, please god, no!!", Will cried as Jack entered him. A flash of searing pain rushed through Will's entire body and he tore at the ropes. He could feel the trickle of blood running down his inner thighs... Jack started to retreat - and then he plunged right back, making the table slide an inch or two with each thrust. Will had never felt this kind of pain before... or humiliation... or betrayal. In between the thrusts, Will moaned:

"Why, Jack...!! Why... Why..."

Jack just laughed and grabbed a hold of Will's brown hair, forcing his head upwards.

"Because ye're a tease, William... all... those times on deck... flaunting... yourself...!!", Jack groaned and suddenly he slumped over Will, pushing himself as far into Will as possible - as Will cried he could feel Jack spasm on top of him. And something warm and thick flowed down his inner thighs... Jack let out a loud sigh as he pulled himself out of the bound Will in front of him. Will was whimpering as Jack grabbed a knife and cut the ropes which tied Will's hands and feet. Immediately the table slid to the side and Will slumped to the floor. Jack kneeled next to him:

"That was great, William... I'll be back next shore leave, luv!", Jack said as he stroked Will's cheek - but he turned his head away.

"Fine, be that way. I know ye loved it, lad... and if not, ye're gonna LEARN to love it", Jack said and placed a kiss on Will's lips. When Jack pulled back Will spat at him. Frozen Jack wiped the saliva off his tanned face. Then his flat hand hit Will hard on the cheek. Will moaned... and finally passed out. Jack smiled as he studied his trophy... bending down he whispered in Will's ear:

"Next shore leave, luv... next shore leave..."

COPYRIGHT 2008

Please R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

WILL'S NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER II

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Disney  
GENRE: Angst  
WARNING: Rated PG13  
TEASER: Jack has had his way with Will… but what's next?

"Will!! Will, please!!", a voice pleaded somewhere from above. The pain in Will's body still flickered to and fro, but his eyes were closed, tears slowly flowing down his tanned cheeks. Something had been put over his naked body…

"Will, wake up, please!!"

There was that voice again… it sounded familiar…. Will's eyelids twitched a few times. A hand caressed his bruised left cheek and a lump of fear seemed to be gathered in his stomach once again… was Jack back?? All of these confused thoughts had been spinning in Will's unconscious mind all this time he had been lying on the floor. However he seemed to be floating out of his coma-like condition.

"Will, wake up!!", the voice said and slowly, but surely, Will's eyes started to open. As soon as he recognized the coal spotted ceiling of the blacksmith, last night and what had happened seemed all too real again and with a loud gasp Will shot up from his lying position on the hay covered floor and sat up, his fist ready to hit Jack's face. But instead he was staring directly at…

"Elizabeth…??", Will gasped and immediately lowered his fist. Her face was pale:

"Yes, it's me, Will – what on earth has happened…??", she asked even though she actually knew. She had seen Jack leave the blacksmith last night, but she hadn't thought about it. If she had only known!! If she had known she had cut him down without blinking! Finding Will like this was the most painful thing she had ever experienced… for his comfort she had covered his naked body with a white cotton sheet… and she HAD noticed the blood spatters here and there… it could only mean one thing… her stomach turned at the thought. Will's eyes started to water up again:

"I… It… doesn't matter", Will lied… How could he ever tell her?? Elizabeth forced a smile:

"You don't have to explain, Will… I know what happened…", she said and watched as Will's face turned bright red as he lowered his glance. How could she ever see him as a MAN again? And how did she know??

"How do you know….?", Will whispered as he clung onto the sheet. Elizabeth stroked his cheek carefully:

"I saw Jack leave this place last night… it was Jack, wasn't it, Will?", she asked and watched as Will clenched his eyes shut, nodding. The rage poured up inside Elizabeth… how could he do such a thing like this??

"Come… you need to get some clothes on… I will wait outside", Elizabeth said as she handed Will his bundle of clothes, which she had found lying on the floor here and there. Will looked at her gratefully:

"Thank you… but where are we going?", Will whispered as he received the bundle of clothes. Elizabeth paled a little again:

"We are going to find Jack", she said and watched how Will's eyebrows shot up:

"No! NO, we can't!!", he gasped and she could see the panic in his eyes. Elizabeth grabbed a hold of Will's hands, which were clinging to the sheet:

"Yes, we can… we have to, Will… He can't get away with this!", Elizabeth pleaded. Will shook his head violently:

"I can't…", he said under his breath, but Elizabeth caressed his hands:

"Yes, you can, Will… please?? Don't let him get away with this", she said and after some seconds of silence, Will slowly nodded:

"Alright… I will try… but…", he began, but she cut him off:

"No but's, Will. We HAVE to do this…", she said as her eyes started to water up as well… without hesitation she gave him a hug – and he hugged her back, tears dripping down onto her lilac gown. They hesitantly parted again and Elizabeth got up.

"Get dressed, okay? I will be right outside. If you need anything, you just call for me", she said and walked out the door, gently closing it behind her. Will carefully slid the sheet aside… his body was bruised from Jack's punches… and below him was a small pool of blood… On his ankles and wrists were gnawing marks from the ropes… Will shook his head to clear his mind. Slowly he got up, and he grimaced from the pain. He put on his clothes, which seemed to take forever… he could only make slow movements in order for the pain not to explode throughout his body. But within five minutes he was as ready as he could be… and very hesitantly he walked to the door of the blacksmith and put his hand on the handle. But… how could he do this? How could he ever step a foot outside the blacksmith again? And how could he ever stay here?? But Elizabeth was waiting outside, and that made a decision for him... slowly he opened the door and squinted his eyes from the bright day light in Port Royal. And there she was, Elizabeth, looking like royalty in her lilac gown. Will slowly walked up to her:

"Thank you", he whispered as his eyes studied the faces of the people walking past… were they looking at him? Did they know?? He could feel his cheeks flush with red.

"For what?", Elizabeth asked and regained eye contact with Will. He forced a smile:

"For getting me out of the blacksmith… for helping me", Will said and Elizabeth merely smiled:

"Of course, Will… I will always be there for you. You know that. And I am sorry it took me so long", she said, referring to the months passed, where she hadn't seen him. Will immediately forgave her… she was here now. And that was all that mattered to him. He sent her a smile, but he still had trouble keeping eye contact with her… she had seen him like that… naked and… violated… His stomach turned again, and suddenly he turned around, placing his hand on the wall of the blacksmith and he threw up.

"Will, are you alright??", Elizabeth burst out as she put a warm hand on his back. Will slowly stood back up straight, his eyes flowing with water again:

"I'm… I'm alright", he lied and noticed how the inhabitants of Port Royal had stopped to stare at him. Again Will's cheeks flushed a burning red color. What were they thinking about him? Could they tell?? Some of the people just shook their heads and walked on by, muttering something about 'damn drunk' and such. Will sighed in relief. It was better to be considered a drunk than a rape victim after all. Again his stomach turned, but there was nothing left to throw up.

"Come on, Will, let's go", Elizabeth said as she pierced the still staring inhabitants with her stare. They immediately turned away and continued with their errands. They started walking down the dusty, cobble stone road towards the harbor… it wasn't easy for Will. He tried to walk as normally as possible, but how it hurt…! Elizabeth very well knew and set the pace down. Without even noticing they were holding hands…

"What if Norrington hears about you going after Jack??", Will suddenly asked. Elizabeth shook her head:

"He will have to deal with it… No one can get away with something like this, Will. Jack must pay. And I'm willing to give my life for it", Elizabeth said under her breath in order for the passing people not to hear. Will immediately stopped dead in his tracks:

"No! NO! You stay clear of danger! Nothing must happen to you, or I will follow you!", Will said and watched how Elizabeth's eyes displayed pure sorrow.

"I mean it", Will added and squeezed her hand. Elizabeth's mind was racing… how could Will even defend himself?? SHE would have to take action. He was too bruised and haunted from this that he would probably freeze the second he saw Jack…

"I can't promise you anything", Elizabeth said softly and squeezed his hand back. They started slowly walking again and now the port came into view… and there she was, The Pearl. Will suppressed the knot of fear starting to form in his stomach. He HAD to face this… he just had to. Everything else would be cowardly. Elizabeth was absolutely right – Jack couldn't get away with this! Now a ball of intense rage started to form and replaced the fear in his stomach… but for how long he didn't know.

"What do we do?", Will asked and thought about how they could sneak aboard and take Jack by surprise.

"We use the gangway", Elizabeth just said as they walked onto the white sand of the harbor and closed in on the anchored Pearl.

"What? You want to just walk right aboard?", Will asked, baffled.

"Yes", was Elizabeth's short answer. Will just nodded… then that was the game plan. No secrecy, no sneaking. Just plain confrontation. Will swallowed as they walked onto the big bridge, which led to the gangway, and the Pearl with the black ragged sails grew bigger and bigger. They walked up the gangway and the quirking from the wood immediately caught Mr. Gibbs' ear:

"Who's there?", he yelled and stuck his head over the railing to have a look:

"Will!! Elizabeth!! So good to see ye!!", he grinned and joined them just as they boarded the Pearl. However Will and Elizabeth weren't smiling:

"Where's Jack?", Elizabeth asked and Gibbs looked rather confused:

"No hello? What's wrong? Oh… what has he done now?", Gibbs asked with a concerned look on his bearded, wrinkled face. Elizabeth and Will didn't answer, they were just looking at Gibbs.

"He's in the captain's quarters, but what has he…", Gibbs started, but was cut off by Elizabeth:

"Thank you", she said as they walked past Mr. Gibbs, who just turned around, his arms raised like one big question mark. They soon reached the double doors of the captain's quarters, several hi's from the crew members were totally ignored. Will was slowing down, and Elizabeth noticed:

"Will… it's now or never. Will you let him get away with what he did to you??", she asked in a harsh yet soft voice. Will swallowed hard.

"No... No, I won't", he said as he put his hand on the sword, which he had grabbed from the blacksmith.

"Wait, not yet", Elizabeth said as she put her hand on his, lowering the sword.

"I want to have a word with him first", she said as her eyes seemed to pierce through the wood and glass of the double doors. Will looked at her:

"What do you mean…?", he asked.

"Just let me", Elizabeth insisted and raised her hand, knocking on the doors. She then opened them without waiting for a reply, and both of them stepped inside in the dimly lit room.

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEAEE R&R! THANK YOU!


	3. Chapter 3

WILL'S NIGHTMARE

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Disney  
GENRE: angst  
WARNING: Rated NC17 for violence  
TEASER: Elizabeth has found Will and they are headed to confront Jack… what's next?

CHAPTER III

At first they couldn't see anything inside the captain's quarters – their eyes had to get used to the very dim light. Only a single candle was lit on the table with the big map on it. Will's stomach turned again by the thought of seeing Jack again… but at the same time his hand was trembling just above the handle of his sword.

"Show yourself, Jack!", Elizabeth suddenly burst out, and Will jumped a little. A groan could be heard and some ruffling with what sounded like sheets. Then the sound of two bare feet hitting the floor reached their ears. Jack had been sleeping apparently…

"What now? Who's there?", Jack's voice said as he stood up from the bunk, annoyed by being disturbed in the middle of his sweet sleep. He thought he recognized the female voice…

"Elizabeth?", Jack's voice asked in the darkness and Elizabeth took a step forward, leaning down over the table, making her face visible in the light from the candle's flame.

"'Ello, luv! What brings ye to me ship? So nice to see ye!", Jack said and started to walk towards her. He was fully dressed and the stench of rum immediately caught Elizabeth's nostrils.

"Well, not so nice to see YOU – and don't call me luv", Elizabeth snapped back, making Jack stop dead in his tracks.

"What's the matter, puppet?", Jack asked a little confused, but fell silent when Will stepped into the light, his hazel eyes blazing with fury.

"Bugger…", Jack mumbled as he grabbed a rum bottle by the bed stand and took a big slurp. He had been caught. He wondered what they had in mind… probably killing him, but that wouldn't be easy. And how angry Will looked…

"So ye didn't dare comin' here alone, did ye? Had to bring the damsel too", Jack mocked as a grin spread on his tanned face. Elizabeth slammed her flat hands down on the table with a loud sound, making the candle tip to the side… within a few seconds the map on the table caught on fire.

"Whoah!! Me map!!", Jack howled and ran to the table, slamming his hands down on the paper, putting out the dangerous flames. However as soon as the fire was extinguished Jack felt a sword tip under his chin. As he looked up he was staring directly into Will's face.

"Aww, admit that ye liked it, puppet", Jack grinned, not taking the sword or Will's rage one bit seriously.

"Shut up, Jack!!", Will hissed, pressing the sword harder against the captain's skin, drawing a bit of blood. However Jack didn't even grimace. He was just staring at Will, piercing him with his kohl-rimmed eyes.

"I WILL kill you, Jack… but before I do I have to ask WHY…?!", Will snarled and watched with frustration how the smile was still plastered on Jack's face.

"Well, because ye're mad at me?", Jack joked, but fell silent when Will suddenly swung the sword, drawing a long, thin stripe across Jack's chest, shredding his cotton shirt. Jack gasped:

"Oh, so angry…", he said, but Will cut him off:

"WHY DID YOU DO IT TO ME, JACK!!", Will yelled, putting the sword tip under Jack's chin again – but this time, Jack was faster, and Will's sword met Jack's in mid-air. The swords were locked against each other, and Jack slowly leaned forward:

"Because ye're a tease and ye needed a lesson", Jack whispered. This was too much for Will and with a roar he pressed the blade of his sword so hard against Jack's that the captain tumbled backwards. Elizabeth put 

a hand on Will's shoulder, stopping him from going after Jack, who landed on his back on the floor. Will stared at her:

"What are you doing?", he panted under his breath, and Elizabeth looked at him seriously:

"Let him get up first… it must be an honest fight", she said and let go of Will's tensed up shoulder. A laugh could be heard from jack, who was now standing up again:

"Honest fight?? Maybe ye have missed something, lady – PIRATE!", Jack said and in the same second his sword whistled through the air, drawing a long line across Will's chest. Will stepped backwards with surprised gasp of pain. Elizabeth lowered her head, piercing Jack with her stare:

"Forget what I said, Will…", she said, urging him on. Will readied himself for a fight, raising his sword in the air… However Jack just looked at him:

"OH, and one more thing: MUTINY!! HELP!!", Jack suddenly howled as he threw his sword to the side, making it slide across the floor, hitting the back wall of the cabin. Will's eyes widened in surprise:

"What are you…", he started, but suddenly the double doors were kicked open and several crew members poured in, grabbing a hold of Will and Elizabeth.

"Stop it! What are you doing??", Elizabeth yelled, squirming in the grasp of a crew member. Suddenly Mr. Gibbs stuck his head inside:

"What is going on, Jack?!", he demanded, and Jack raised his empty hands:

"They attacked me… for no reason, and I'm unarmed!!", Jack said and made sure that the cut across his chest was visible. Elizabeth immediately cut him off:

"You pathetic liar!! Look at Will!! Where did THAT cut come from, huh?!", she yelled and watched how Mr Gibbs frowned. Jack looked confused for a second:

"I don't know, he had it when he got here!", Jack lied and a big 'oooh' came from all of the crew. They swallowed everything Jack said raw. Elizabeth's cheeks were flushed with red from anger:

"He is lying!! Jack, when did you become an evil coward!!", she hissed, watching as Jack suddenly looked hurt.

"How can ye say such a thing, Miss Swann?", Jack said in his most innocent tone of voice. Will was shaking his head:

"Forget it, Elizabeth… we can do nothing now", Will said silently and looked at the crew members' angry faces.

"Lock them in the brig! One cell for each!", Jack said and immediately the crew pulled at Will and Elizabeth, forcing them out of the captain's quarters, Elizabeth kicking and screaming in rage. Mr. Gibbs were just watching them, baffled… he couldn't quite get his mind around this. He looked at Jack:

"Jack, what happened??", he asked and watched as Jack shook his head:

"I already told ye… ye don't believe yer own captain, Gibbs?", Jack asked and Gibbs immediately nodded:

"Of course I do", he said and left the cabin, going back to the deck just in time to see Will and Elizabeth being dragged down the hatch to below deck… and the brig.

"Let go! You have to believe us!", Elizabeth yelled, as she tried to kick one of the crew members over the shin. However her arm were twisted behind her back, making her gasp out loudly.

"Hurt her and be run through!", Will hissed as he stared at the big sailor. The big man merely grinned:

"With this hostility how could we ever believe ye over the captain?", he just said as they reached the slimy wooden planks of the hallway below deck.

"I am surprised you know such a fancy word", Elizabeth mocked, only to have her arm twisted even further. She moaned and grimaced from the pain.

"Elizabeth, stop… it's not doing any good", Will pleaded as they reached the two cells of the brig. Jack had rebuilt it… now the one room was divided in half by heavy steel bars. Elizabeth was the first one to be thrown inside the brig… then Will was violently pushed inside and the door was slammed. Quickly the key was turned in the lock and the crew left, whispering amongst each other. Silence fell… through the bars Will 

and Elizabeth were looking at each other. This hadn't gone the way they thought at all…. Will couldn't believe how Jack had changed… he wasn't the old, cheerful, courageous Jack anymore… he was a filthy, lying, cowardly rapist. Again his stomach turned.

"That wasn't quite the plan, huh…?", Elizabeth said under her breath, tears forming in her light brown eyes. Will immediately sat himself down by the bars and grabbed her hand, looking at her:

"I know…", he said and forced a smile.

"It's all my fault, isn't it?", Elizabeth said, her voice trembling a little. Will squeezed her hand:

"No, don't ever say that. How could you ever have predicted this?", Will said softly, rubbing the smooth skin on her hand. Elizabeth shook her head, suppressing the tears trying to come through. They both sighed as they broke eye contact and looked around the brig… it was damp and cold. The planks were slimy and slippery…

"How do we get out of here?", Elizabeth asked. But Will shook his head:

"We can't… even a blacksmith can't break out from here. I am sorry… we have to wait for Jack's next move", he said, getting goose bumps on his arms for even mentioning his rapist's name. Elizabeth nodded…

"We will have to wait then", she said as the dark closed in on them… it had to be late afternoon by now. There wasn't much light down here, but at least it wasn't totally dark. It WOULD be in a few hours. The thought sent chills down Elizabeth's spine… how foolish she had been. No one knew they were here… not even her husband. And that might be the end of them…

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEASE R&R! THANK YOU!


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

Still sitting in the same position the dark fell on Will and Elizabeth in the two cells below deck. It was getting colder as well, and goose bumps were forming on their skin. The muffled sound of waves hitting the hull were no longer comforting, but scary. This was a whole new scenario – usually the Pearl was a safe place to be, but now they were prisoners here.

"What do you think Jack's next move will be?", Elizabeth suddenly asked, breaking the sound of the waves. They were still holding hands and she felt how Will's hand twitched a little just by her mentioning the captain's name. She could just make out Will shaking his head in the darkness:

"I honestly don't know…", Will said and suddenly had a terrible vision of Elizabeth walking the plank… he shook it off and squeezed Elizabeth's hand tighter – in the same second a loud sound could be heard from the end of the long hallway and a dim light spread. Both Will and Elizabeth shot up from their sitting positions as the light grew more intense and footsteps reached their ears. They were both staring at the bars as the light came into view – a wax candle lighting up… Jack's face. Will's stomach turned again.

"What do you want, coward?", Elizabeth hissed at him through the bars, but Jack just smiled:

"Ye're probably wondering what I'll do with ye, ey?", Jack grinned, the candle light shimmering on the surface of his silver and gold teeth, completely ignoring Elizabeth's outburst. Will felt like strangling Jack, but he couldn't reach him through the bars. He wasn't stupid after all.

"Let us go, Jack. You have no right…", Will started, but Jack interrupted:

"Oh, I have every right… remember, I'm yer captain… and the captain can do whatever he desires. Savvy?", Jack smiled as he suddenly dangled the bundle of keys from his fingers. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed:

"So you have come to mock us?", she asked sarcastically and crossed her slender arms. Jack tilted his head a bit:

"Actually, no… and sarcasm doesn't become ye, Miss Swann", Jack said as he found the key for the locks, holding it up in front of the candle flame for them to see.

"Then what do you want?", Elizabeth asked in frustration as she pierced Jack with her light brown eyes.

"Kill us?", she added and looked Jack up and down as if he was a mere ant. Jack tilted his head back a little and let out a grin:

"Oh no, Miss Swann… remember, a captain gets what he desires…", he said and then his glance settled on Will. Will looked back… and recognized the preying look in Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes. Immediately Will automatically took a step backwards:

"No, Jack…!!", he burst out just as the captain put the key in the lock and started to turn it. Elizabeth quickly hurried to the bars and stuck her hand out, trying to get a hold of Jack's hair or throat – anything. But she failed.

"Will, don't let him!! Jack, no!!", Elizabeth yelled as she shook the bars as hard as she could. They didn't budge. As Jack turned the key completely and the lock made a loud slam, the door slowly opened with a quirk. Now there was nothing between Jack and his prey – nothing but a few steps. Will was as pale as a sheet, but suddenly he bent a bit forwards staring at Jack with blazing eyes. Jack let out a grin again:

"Oh, ye wanna fight?? Maybe to impress the damsel… she doesn't know how willing ye were the last time, ey?", Jack mocked. This was too much for Will, who suddenly lunged forwards to knock Jack over and grab the keys – however he just managed to stop before Jack's sword tip hit his chest. Only an inch from the cold metal tip Will stared at Jack:

"Go ahead – kill me", he said in a low tone of voice. In the other cell Elizabeth was running to and fro, hitting the bars with her bare fists in pure fear and despair. Jack frowned a bit.

"Oh really? Ye think it'll be that easy, lad?", Jack responded and suddenly withdrew, slamming the cell door shut, standing out on the hallway again. Both Will and Elizabeth stared incomprehensively at each other. What now? Will wanted to sigh from relief but he had a bad feeling… As he looked at Jack a smile was plastered on his tanned face as he stuck the key in the lock to Elizabeth's cell. Will immediately jumped up to the cell door:

"Don't you touch her!!", Will almost screamed and tore at the bars. Jack just looked at him:

"But ye've made me", he smiled and turned the key – however the cell door was slammed against his body, making him drop the candle, which was immediately extinguished against the slimy planks. Darkness fell, and Will heard the sound of a fight – he could only see some dark shadows moving quickly around each other.

"Elizabeth??", Will burst out, clinging to the bars. There was no answer, but suddenly silence fell. Complete silence…

"Elizabeth??", Will repeated, swallowing hard as his knuckles turned white by the strength he used to try and bend the bars. Suddenly the light came back – and Will looked up:

"No…!", he gasped as he watched how Jack's sword was just below Elizabeth's chin as he was holding her in a hard grasp. She was holding the candle in her shaking hands. A tiny stream of blood was flowing from one of her nostrils.

"That's what happens when ye try something stupid like that", Jack merely said and forced Elizabeth to step up to Will's cell door.

"Please don't hurt her!!", Will burst out as he looked her deep in the eyes. A tear was rolling down her cheek. Will's heart was pounding so loudly that he almost went deaf.

"Open the door, luv", Jack demanded as he forced the key into her hand.

"No", she said, and Jack pushed the tip of the blade harder against her sensitive skin.

"Open the door…! Do as he says…!", Will cried as he looked at Elizabeth with pleading eyes. Nothing could happen to her, he wouldn't allow it. He would sacrifice anything for her… any… thing… even himself.

"I can't, Will…", Elizabeth almost sobbed as her hand with the keys started shaking violently. Will pressed himself against the bars, getting as close to her as possible:

"Yes, you can… please, Elizabeth…", he said and finally Elizabeth slowly stuck the key in the lock….

"That's my girl…", Jack whispered in her ear, making Elizabeth's stomach turn. Closing her eyes she turned the key, tears streaming down her pale face. Will immediately opened the door and wanted to touch Elizabeth, but Jack pressed the cutlass harder against her skin, making her whimper with pain – and Will stopped dead in his tracks:

"You got what you wanted, now let her go!", Will said, but Jack just grinned:

"I haven't got what I want… yet… it's a matter of leverage, William", he said and winked at him with that weird sparkle in his dark eyes again. 'Oh god, what does he want now', Will thought. Slowly Jack forced Elizabeth into the cell and smacked the door behind them… grabbing a hold of her long hair, he forced her head a bit backwards and placed the cutlass an inch from her throat.

"Jack, no….!!", Will burst out, but didn't move.

"As I said… leverage", Jack said, but now he wasn't grinning.

"Take off yer shirt, Will", he said in a monotone tone of voice. Will's eyes widened… so that was what he meant by leverage. Elizabeth as a hostage… making him dance like a marionette doll. And so he had to. Slowly Will took off his shirt and grimaced when the cotton fabric touched the long cut on his hairless chest. Jack seemed to be swallowing him with his eyes…

"Will, don't….", Elizabeth whimpered, but Will slowly shook his head:

"I have to…", he said. Jack nodded at Will:

"Finally ye got it… now take off yer trousers!", Jack said and Will complied without hesitation.

"Good boy", Jack said as he now looked at the naked Will in front of him… Jack then looked down at Elizabeth and pressed a small bundle of rope into her hands as he snatched the keys back.

"Tie yerself to the bars. Now", Jack demanded and Elizabeth looked at Will.

"Do it….", Will said and Elizabeth slowly started to tie herself to the bars with the hemp rope. A grin again spread on Jack's face as he finally removed the cutlass from Elizabeth's throat and quickly tightened the knots she had made. Tears were now flowing freely down her face… she couldn't believe that she had done this. She felt that she was just as guilty as Jack…. But…

"Lay on the bunk, face down", Jack said and Will got up on the hard, wooden bunk, pressing his face into the thin mattress. His mind was spinning…. But there was nothing he could do. Not with the… leverage. Jack put the candle down two feet from Elizabeth and put the cutlass back in his belt, which he started to loosen.

"You animal!", Elizabeth burst out in tears and Jack sighed annoyed:

"Pirate, thank ye. And shut up or I'll have to gag ye, lady!", he said as he slowly closed in on the defenseless Will. How beautiful he was in the light from the wax candle… smooth buttocks, muscular back… silk-like, tanned skin… and he was Jack's for the taking. Jack could feel his member throbbing painfully, longing for the young man. And he didn't hesitate. Quickly he was on top of Will, pinning his arms down. However he didn't see the cheat knots Elizabeth was now fumbling to loosen behind him…

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEASE R&R! THANK YOU!


	5. Chapter 5

WILL'S NIGHTMARE

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Disney  
GENRE: SLASH /angst  
WARNING: Rated NC17 for undertones of slash/violence  
TEASER: Jack is now using Elizabeth as a hostage… but what is really going on?

CHAPTER V

Will felt his lungs painfully heaving for air with Jack's weight on top of him… his arms were pinned down, and he wasn't resisting. Not with Elizabeth's life on the line… How could Jack be so incredibly cruel and cowardly? It was like it wasn't even JACK…

"Spread yer legs, puppet…", Jack groaned in Will's ear, and Will complied without hesitation. He could hear Elizabeth sobbing from the corner of his cell, where she was tied to the bars. Closing his eyes the naked Will felt Jack starting to fumble with his belt.

"Please, Jack…", Will managed to whisper, but in the same second a shadow seemed to flicker in the light from the wax candle on the floor – and just as Jack turned his head, a fist hit him hard on the cheek bone, sending him crashing into the wall by the bunk. Will quickly turned his head and expected to see Mr. Gibbs – but to his utter surprise it was no other but Elizabeth.

"Elizab….?", Will started and felt like he was dreaming, but she interrupted him:

"Hurry, get up!!", she panted as she held her right wrist tight – it was smarting beyond belief from the punch she had delivered. Will immediately started squirming under Jack's weight and managed to crawl out from under the captain and land on the wet, wooden planks. In the meantime, Jack was leaning against the wall lightly, but he quickly regained full consciousness as he rubbed his swollen cheek bone. He slowly turned his head, blinking his eyes, and discovered Elizabeth and Will staring at him, fumbling for the keys which had to be somewhere by Jack's loosened belt. Within a split second Jack's hand reached for the cutlass – and he managed to grab it, swinging at Will and Elizabeth who jumped backwards.

"Hurry, run!", Will yelled to Elizabeth, but she shook her head. Even though they were both unarmed, there had to be something they could use against Jack… something… anything. Jack jumped up from the bunk and pointed the sword at the two lovers:

"Ye will pay for this", he hissed as he stepped closer to them. Will made sure, that he was in front of Elizabeth… he couldn't let her be harmed in any way. Again Jack swung at them, but Will kicked out his leg, smacking his shin against Jack's hand on the handle of the cutlass – making the sword fly out of his hand, disappearing out of the cell and into the darkness. With an annoyed snarl Jack put up his fists, but Will seemed to pull away from him along with Elizabeth towards the cell door. But they couldn't lock him in – Jack had the keys.

"Come on, whelp – fight me!", Jack hissed and hurried to snap his belt buckle back into place. Will's eyes were blazing… Elizabeth grabbed a hold of Will's naked shoulder:

"You have to, Will… otherwise we will end up back in here!", she whispered in his ear. Will slowly nodded:

"Then you go and get Mr. Gibbs…", he said and slowly put his fists up in the air just like Jack. Hesitantly Elizabeth left the cell and ran for the hatch.

"Double crossing little piece of scum, ye are!", Jack said as they were circling each other. Will was breathing heavily with anger:

"ME?! What have you become Jack?!", he spat and suddenly caught a glimpse of something inside Jack's white cotton shirt. It shone like silver. But just for a few seconds… Suddenly Jack lunged for him and smacked his entire body weight into Will's stomach – crashing into the bars, Will fell to his knees. Within a split second Jack had grabbed a hold of Will's shoulder long brown hair and was forcing him to stand back up. But just as they were eye to eye Will's right knee shot up and hit Jack in the abdomen, making him stumble backwards with a groan of pain.

"Ye fight like a pansy!", Jack mocked just as he planted a fist right on Will's chin, slinging him to the side. Blood started flowing from his lower lip and a smile appeared on Jack's face. Following Will he kept throwing punches, but most of them were misses. Will was fast, but the punches that DID hit him were weakening his body fast. As a last resort Will turned around to face Jack just in time to duck a punch – and then he headbutted the captain right on the nose, making a fine spray of dark red blood stand out in the stale air. Jack howled in pain as he grabbed his nose, his kohl-rimmed eyes watering up.

Suddenly there was a sound at the end of the hallway, but none of them picked it up in their intense fight.

"Ye're a dead man!", Jack spat as he kicked out at Will, hitting him right on the thigh… in pain Will groped on his aching muscle and almost couldn't stand on his leg. With a yell Will punched Jack in the face, making the captain stumble backwards – only to attack again, throwing numerous punches at Will.

"WHAT is going on here?!", a voice suddenly boomed behind Jack, who spun around to face… Mr. Gibbs and Elizabeth. Will was gasping for air along with Jack and there were blood spatters here and there. Mr. Gibbs looked completely flabbergasted:

"Jack, why are ye fighting Will??", he asked even though he HAD heard Elizabeth's version of what had been going on. Jack immediately came up with an excuse:

"He attacked me first!", he just said, and Gibbs had to hold back Elizabeth who immediately tried to attack the captain. Will shook his head:

"He is lying, Mr. Gibbs – he is not himself!", Will gasped, but Jack didn't seem to hear OR care.

"What are ye even doing in his cell? And how did Miss Swann get out?", Gibbs asked and Jack looked confused for a moment.

"He faked a heart attack and I and Miss Swann wanted to help! Then they attacked me!", Jack suddenly said. Both Gibbs, Elizabeth and Will burst out a simultaneous:

"What??"

Jack realized that he couldn't lie his way out of this… and in frustration he suddenly lunged at Mr. Gibbs with a loud roar – however he ran straight into a fist as hard as stone. With a heavy thump Jack landed on the slimy planks and a silver box slid out on the floor. Elizabeth, Gibbs and Will looked at the box with raised eyebrows – and let out a gasp when it suddenly clicked open… and… played a melody. It was a music box?? Will suddenly paled – he knew that silver box… and he was just about to open his mouth when something that sounded like an explosion could be heard. And the unconscious Jack suddenly started to squirm… Elizabeth let out a small scream when Jack's fingers turned completely green and slimy, wriggling like worms. Water started seeping up through the planks, forming a pool around Jack's body. And with a loud crash a cloud of steam and spraying water jets formed, completely covering Jack. All of them held a hand in front of their faces in shock… and when they lowered it Jack wasn't there anymore. They were looking at no other but Davy Jones himself.

"Oh my god…!", Gibbs burst out.

"That is me, whelp…", Davy Jones said in his quirky voice as his tentacles slowly picked up the silver music box and hid it under his many squid arms. Will was shaking his head incomprehensively:

"WHY…??", he asked and a loud, but short, laugh came from Davy Jones:

"Because…", he started, but Gibbs butted in:

"Where is Jack??", he demanded and the master of the seas rolled his eyes:

"At the Dutchman of course", he said and looked at Mr. Gibbs with a smile.

"Well, bring him back!!", Gibbs said, pale as a sheet. Davy Jones merely shook his head:

"I can't… but he can", he said and pointed at Will, who had also paled to a ghost-like tone of skin.

"What do ye mean, he can….!?", Gibbs started, but now Will interrupted:

"WHY?! ANSWER ME! WHY did you do it to me?!", he yelled, his fists and knuckled turning white. Davy Jones merely shook his head:

"Because you are Sparrow's champion… and I wanted to weaken you… besides…", Davy said, but seemed to trail off. A tear seemed to form in his eye and silence fell… then Davy looked at Will closely:

"True love like that shouldn't exist", he said and then looked at Elizabeth… she was pale too.

"It is… so beautiful… that it… hurts…", he added, sea water now flowing like tears down his greenish cheeks. Mr. Gibbs looked completely confused:

"What are you talking about?", he asked – but he got no answer. Instead Will said:

"I will do what I have to to save Jack… But after that it is you and me. And I WILL kill you", he said in a monotone tone of voice. A snort came from Davy Jones:

"You know you can't kill me… besides the Dutchman needs a captain", he said. Will's eyes narrowed:

"Then I will find a proper replacement"

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEASE R&R! THANK YOU!


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI

All three of them were staring shocked at Davy Jones, whose green face displayed a broad smile. As if a mere whelp could ever beat him. Davy let out a snort again:

"So you accept to be Sparrow's champion?", he asked as he looked the naked Will up and down. Will merely nodded. A grin escaped Davy.

"Then we have an accord… but it's up to YOU how to find us", he said and suddenly the intense cloud of steam and water jets appeared again, covering Davy's body, and when the cloud disappeared – Davy Jones was gone. Now all three of them were just standing there, staring a pool of sea water, completely confused and in shock.

Mr. Gibbs shook his head:

"How on earth are we going to find the Flying Dutchman", he asked and seemed to shiver just by the thought of the infamous ghost ship…

"Will, it is too dangerous!", Elizabeth burst out, tears forming in her light brown eyes. Will looked at her closely as he picked up his clothes from the slimy planks. Both Gibbs and Elizabeth turned around, letting Will get dressed.

"I know… but Jack is my friend… I have no choice", Will said and put a hand on Gibbs' and Elizabeth's shoulders, turning them around to face him. He was now wearing his rather torn white cotton shirt and his leather trousers.

"But how are we even going to find the ship?", Elizabeth asked and Gibbs nodded. Will's lips suddenly displayed a smile:

"That's easy", he just said, making Elizabeth and Gibbs stare at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean?", Elizabeth asked perplexed as she stared at Will.

"We go to the nearest ship wreck… we will go to Port Royal", he said and Gibbs immediately paled:

"Ye can't be serious! We will be shot down!!", Gibbs burst out, but Will tilted his head a bit:

"Who says that WE are the ones being shot down?", he said and looked at Elizabeth and Gibbs who were still looking confused. Will smiled:

"Yes, we will be attacked… and no doubt someone will die… but that's the point… even though I don't like it one bit. But we have so save Jack", Will said and Gibbs and Elizabeth nodded slowly in agreement.

"To Port Royal it is then… it is not many nautical miles away", Gibbs said and started walking for the hatch. Elizabeth sighed heavily:

"Will, this isn't like you…", she said concerned as she caressed his face. Will placed a soft kiss on her lips:

"I know… but it is the only option… I hate it as much as you do", he said and grabbed her hand, walking for the hatch as well.

As they got up on the deck the sun was just rising, spreading beams of orange light. Port Royal could already be seen in the horizon… swallowing Gibbs suddenly yelled:

"Hoist the flag!!!"

Everyone on deck froze for a second, but then carried on the command… and the Jolly Roger flag was hoisted to the top of the tall mast.

"This is suicide…", Gibbs mumbled under his breath. But he very well knew that it indeed WAS the only solution. Already now the Royal Navy's two big ships, the Dauntless and the Interceptor, were on the way out of the harbour. They had been spotted.

"MAN THE CANNONS!", Gibbs yelled and chaos erupted on deck as every crew man was running to and fro, manning the stations on and below deck. The Dauntless was the first to come within shooting range… and on Gibbs' command the cannon balls went flying. Splinters of wood and metal and glass were exploding through the air, while the Dauntless' cannon balls were eating holes in the railing of the Black Pearl. Elizabeth and Will ducked down in front of the captain's quarters by the stairs, holding hands.

"Sink them, Gibbs!", Will yelled which was followed by a stare from Elizabeth… she couldn't quite believe that Will would ever say a thing like that. He seemed obsessed with saving Jack… but why?

"Will!", she said and he turned his head towards her:

"Yes?", he asked through the intense noise of the shoot-out. Elizabeth just looked at him:

"Why are we doing this? What has he ever done for you?", she asked, referring to Jack. Will looked at the planks…

"This is not just for Jack… this is personal", he answered as he raised his glance, seeming to pierce the sky with his brown eyes. Elizabeth bit her lower lip… he had to be talking about Davy Jones. And she understood. No man could let something like that go by unpunished.

The cannons were roaring… and Mr. Gibbs was yelling out commands feverishly, trying to keep the Pearl intact and vicious. As the last cannon balls exploded out from the side of the Pearl the Interceptor came into play. This were unfair odds… the Pearl didn't stand a chance – and she was out of ammunition. But the last cannon balls that had been fired had hit the lower hull of the Dauntless, who was now getting a strong list. She was sinking. Gibbs wiped his forehead as he tried to turn the Pearl around, ready to flee the battlefield. As Will felt the movements of the Pearl he stood up:

"No, Mr. Gibbs – we have to stay!!", he yelled. Otherwise it would all have been in vain. They had to wait for the Dauntless to sink in order to have a chance to even get to SEE the Flying Dutchman. Mr. Gibbs shook his head, but he reluctantly let go of the wheel, ducking down as the cannon balls from the Interceptor came whistling through the air. Luckily most of them were misses. But it would be like that for long.

As Will carefully peered over the railing he could see the deck of the Dauntless – the men were running to and fro in their red coats, trying to get rescue boats in the water. But the ship was sinking too fast – and suddenly with roar the Dauntless tipped completely to the starboard. The men aboard slid down the deck and disappeared into the foaming water. Will's stomach turned as he kept a watchful eye on what was happening. He couldn't believe that he had ordered this…. He felt like a murderer…. He could never forgive… Suddenly an underwater blast seemed to rock the Pearl and just below the waterline a shadow appeared between the Pearl and the sinking Dauntless. The first man had drowned. Will felt like throwing up… but instead of doing so he jumped up on the railing of the Pearl. He looked over his shoulder and gained eye contact with Elizabeth… she was pale as a sheet – but then she nodded. And with that Will dived over the railing and into the foaming chaos of the Caribbean sea. He hit the water and everything turned light blue – looking around he detected the shadow he had seen from the Pearl… it HAD to be the Dutchman… swimming as fast as he could Will grabbed a hold of something that felt and looked like a railing. Now he had to find the hatch… he swam as fast as he could, but he could feel that he was running out of air. This wasn't good. Maybe his plan was failing. As he reached the hatch he pulled at it as hard as he possibly could… but it didn't budge. His ears were throbbing painfully from the weight of the water above him. He didn't have the time to re-surface… Desperately Will pulled at the hatch again – nothing happened. He could feel his vision starting to blacken… And just as he was about to take in a mouthful of water a loud splash could be heard and air suddenly surrounded him. Coughing violently Will found himself in a fetal position on the deck of the Flying Dutchman… he was too weak to even stand up. But then a familiar tapping on the planks caught his ears and a wooden leg came into view.

"Ye are smarter than I thought", a growling voice said and with much effort Will managed to look up, staring directly at Davy Jones himself. He had made it… looking around he could see several shivering men in red coats sitting in a line. Weak as he was Will got up on his elbows and looked at them:

"I am sorry….", he whispered as he felt his stomach turn again. He had killed these men… these lost souls were now under Davy Jones' vicious dictatorship… IF they said yes. Will gained eye contact with one of the red coats, whose blue lips were shivering violently.

"Say no!", Will suddenly burst out, catching everyone's attention on the deck. A loud grunt came from Davy Jones… and a slimy, green arm picked Will up by the arm and hurled him directly into one of the tables used for the infamous risk-more-years-on-the-Dutchman-game. The table was crushed under Will's weight, and as he landed on the splinters of wood the dices spread across the deck.

"Don't ye dare interfere with me business!", Davy snorted and turned his piercing gaze towards the shivering men. He then starting walking to and fro in front of them… all while Will was trying to get back up, but he was still feeling awfully weak. And the questioning began… only one man was smart enough to say no. And he was immediately thrown into the depths. Will felt tears trying desperately to appear in the corners of his eyes, but he refused… he had been forced to do this. And he bet that Davy Jones very well knew. It had been a lucrative bargain for Davy. But it would be the same for Will – he was sure of it. Now he COULDN'T fail… or these lost lives had been in vain.

"Take me to Jack!", Will said resolutely as he looked Davy Jones up and down. He was now finally able to stand up, wobbly, but standing. Davy let out an amused groan-like sound as he looked at Will, whose eyes were displaying pure disgust and hatred. But also sorrow. Good.

"Oh, I will…", Davy Jones said and suddenly the deck disappeared below Will, who fell with a surprised yelp into a complete and utter darkness.

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEASE R&R! THANK YOU!


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII

With a yelp Will seemed to fall for several minutes – but it was only a few seconds after all. Amazingly enough Will managed to land on his feet on what seemed like planks down in the darkness below deck. But the surprise of suddenly hitting the planks made him twist his right ankle and fall to the side, landing on his side. Feverishly he looked around, but he couldn't see anything but the colour black… Until a flame suddenly flickered and lit up the room. He was in the brig…?? Will could see steel bars, slimy planks covered with all sorts of small sea creatures… and Davy Jones' greenish face behind the burning candle. Breathing heavily Will stood back up, wobbly on his hurt ankle.

"Where is Jack??", Will asked as he seemed to pierce Davy with his brown eyes. A deformed smile appeared on Davy's face as one of his tentacles pointed to somewhere behind Will. He immediately turned around – and in the dim light of the brig was Jack… tied to the wall with his hands above his head.

"Jack!", Will burst out, but there was no reaction. The captain's head was dangling on his shoulder… limping as fast as he could Will reached Jack and carefully smacked him on the cheek. Slowly Jack's eyes kohl-rimmed eyes opened:

"Will…? Is it you?", Jack mumbled confused and Will nodded as he tried to shake off the image of Jack being his rapist… it was harder than he had thought. He kept seeing Jack in his mind and hearing his voice… but after all it HAD been Davy Jones, and not Jack. He had to remember that…

"Jack… what happened?? Let me free you!", Will said as he reached up to start working on the knots – but immediately the tip of a sword touched Will's sensitive skin under his chin and his fingers seemed to freeze.

"Oh no… it ain't that easy, boy", Davy Jones groaned as he forced Will away from his captain with the sword. Will carefully turned his head to stare at Davy…

"What do you want me to do??", Will asked angrily and stepped away from the sword. Davy merely grinned as he studied the sword…

"Ye are his champion… ye must pass some tests before ye can free yer captain. Do ye accept?", Davy snorted as he looked Will up and down. The anger flared in Will's eyes:

"Yes, I accept", he just said and a loud laugh escaped Davy.

"Then we have an accord. Now follow me", Davy said as he started walking towards the hatch. Will reluctantly followed and climbed up the hatch, but he almost slipped on the stairs – both because of the layered algae but also because of his smarting ankle. As he climbed onto the deck he looked around… every crew man was just standing at his post, staring at him… with their deformed faces and bulging fish eyes. There was a complete silence… Davy Jones walked up to the wheel and looked down at all of his crew and Will:

"Let the first test begin!", he hollered and something that seemed like euphoria erupted on deck. Everyone was cheering and jumping up and down in anticipation. And from the crowd suddenly appeared a man with his head bowed down… Will stared at him… It couldn't be…?? He recognized the orange sea star on the side of his head.

"Father?", Will burst out and Bootstrap Bill lifted up his head and stared at his son teary-eyed. Slowly Will's father approached him:

"Why, William??", he asked as he sat down by one of the tables on deck. Will joined him:

"Because I have to save Jack", Will said softly and looked at his father's blue eyes. His father let out a sigh…

"I didn't want to be a part of this… but now I have to… I will be the provider of the first test. I am sorry", he said and stared at the table top. Will tilted his head a bit in surprise… but then he nodded:

"Give it to me", he said as all of the crew gathered around them, including Davy Jones. He had already told Bootstrap that if he gave away the answer in any way or gave out any sort of clue, he would serve five-hundred more years on the Dutchman. Bootstrap looked up at Davy Jones, who nodded. Folding his scarred hands on the table top, Bootstrap Bill looked at his son:

"What I say now is a lie", he said, and continued:

"True or false? You have thirty seconds", he asked and bowed his head again as if he was praying. Will's eyebrows rose… and the sentence kept running inside of his head… 'what I say now is a lie'… Will could feel a knot of fear starting to form in his stomach. It was obviously a trick question. But how to crack it?? Everyone around him was completely silent, including Davy Jones. The seconds passed too fast… he couldn't lose!! Suddenly something seemed to loosen inside Will's mind… he had it! And he lifted his head and burst out:

"It is BOTH true and false. You could be simply lying and thereby telling the truth or you could be telling the truth that you're lying!", Will burst out, which was accompanied by a loud growl from the crew and a snort from Davy Jones:

"The kid knows a paradox", Davy grunted angrily and waved at Bootstrap to go away. Father and son managed to gain eye contact before Bootstrap disappeared into the crowd with a proud smile. Will sighed relieved and looked up at Davy Jones, who was obviously more than just annoyed. He hadn't expected for the whelp to be able to answer such a hard question… he was obviously smarter than he had first thought. But now for the second test. Davy Jones bowed down at stared directly at Will with his blue sea water eyes – Will retreated a bit from the fishy stench coming from Davy's breath.

"Are yeready for the second test, whelp?", Davy snorted arrogantly and put his face even closer to Will's.

"Yes, I am", Will just said and immediately Davy Jones stood back up, annoyed with the kid's courageous spirit.

"Alright then, kid… Oh, Sharky Sharky!!!!", Davy suddenly burst out in a loud voice and from the crowd appeared the biggest man… or.. creature that Will had ever seen. His head was formed like that of a hammerhead shark. What would happen now??? Will had to admit, that he was nervous. A grin escaped Davy Jones as he turned his head to face Will:

"Sharky here is yer second test… beat him in an unarmed fight and ye get the final test", Davy grinned and waved at the huge creature to come closer. The muscles were bulging out on his arms and thighs… and his gaze seemed to completely pierce Will to the bone. Swallowing Will slowly stood up:

"I accept", he said and took one step closer to the huge creature who had been a man once. Will wondered what he would have looked like in human form…

"Let the fight begin! And remember, no weapons, whelp!", Davy Jones yelled and immediately the huge man started circling Will with his fists in the air in front of his mutated face. All Will could do was to keep turning, keep facing the shark creature who could fire one of those huge fists at him at any time. And so he did. Will quickly ducked and the fist whistled just past him – which was followed by a loud hollering from the remaining crew members. A grunt escaped Will's opponent as he tried a left hook – which Will also just managed to avoid. The shark creature bared his ragged teeth in anger as he suddenly lunged forward, smacking directly into Will with all of his weight. Landing on the slimy deck almost all of the air was knocked out of Will's lungs when the heavy body of the man landed on top of him. A loud applause came from the ring of crew members surrounding them. Will tried to squirm out from underneath the man, but before he knew it one of his hands was fastened above his head in hard grasp. The man stuck his face as close to Will's as possible and bared his hook-like teeth again – letting small droplets of drool land on Will's face.

"What to do know, huh, whelp??", he grunted and let out a hiss-like grin. Will was still using all of his strength to try and squirm out from under him. But he quickly realized that it was in vain… he was too heavy, too strong. Will's left hand was still free and with a quick movement he smacked a fist into the man's stubby chin, making his face retreat from the close, threatening position. A groan escaped the man, but it sounded annoyed, not as if he was in pain. Quickly Will hit him again, this time on his almost non-existing nose. And this time a small howl escaped his opponent, but still he didn't let go of Will.

"Ye're dead, whelp!", the shark man hissed as he suddenly let go of Will's right wrist and instead grabbed his hair with both hands. Will immediately grabbed a hold of the man's wrists to try and wrench them off. However he didn't succeed and suddenly the man pulled Will's head upwards and then smacked the back of his head into the deck. For a few seconds Will's vision turned black… the hollering even disappeared. Now all that existed in Will's world was the ugly face of his opponent. He had to do something now, or he WOULD be killed… desperately Will let go of the man's wrists and grabbed a hold of his small ears and twisted them as hard as he could. A whining sound escaped the shark's mouth, but he still didn't let go – instead he lifted Will's head again, ready for another attempt to knock him out. Will's eyes grew big in fear as he suddenly gouged his fingers into the eyes of the man. Immediately a loud, high-pitched scream escaped him and this made him let go of Will's hair and cover his hurt eyes with his broad, bluish hands. This was Will's only chance – and quickly he squirmed out from under his groaning opponent. In a matter of seconds Will was back on his feet, wobbly from the hurt ankle and his blurry vision – but he was up. But so was his opponent. Suddenly a rattling sound reached Will's ears and from behind the man's back came a chain flying towards Will, who only had the time to spin around, making the chain hit his back instead of his face. A yelp escaped Will as the chain whipped his back, shredding his already shredded cotton shirt. The applause roared. Will turned towards Davy Jones:

"You said no weapons!", Will yelled, but it was only followed by a skew smile from Davy. Again the shark man lifted the chain, ready to whip Will again, but this time Will managed to grab a hold of the chain… now they were in each their end of the chain, pulling feverishly. The crowd was cheering so loudly that it felt like Will was going deaf. This had to end… and now. Will's mind raced and with a smooth movement he was suddenly behind the man and the chain was wrapped around his neck. Will quickly tightened the chain, which his opponent was still holding on to – actually contributing to the strangulation. The blue skin of the shark man turned even more blue rather quickly and bluish drool was running from the corners of his mouth. Within a few seconds he was on his knees, amazingly and stupidly enough STILL holding on to the chain.

"Let go of the chain, ye fool!!", Davy suddenly yelled and the man let go, making the chain fly right out of Will's hands and land somewhere in the crowd. Will's heart was thumping like crazy – and without even thinking he grabbed a hold of the man's head from behind – and snapped his head to the side. A loud and disgusting 'snap' could be heard… and the shark man slowly turned his head and looked at Will, snapping his head back into the right sockets. The hollering had stopped and now silence fell… no one even moved. Davy Jones let out a loud roar of anger and was suddenly standing right in front of Will:

"That was nothing but luck… if he was a man he would be dead, yes… I guess ye passed the second test, kid", he hissed and suddenly kicked the shark man in the side, making him fall down:

"And you!!! Pathetic piece of scum!! Five hundred more years on the Dutchman!!", Davy Jones growled and waved at him to crawl away and out of his sight. So he did, his head bowed down in humiliation. Davy Jones then turned his head towards Will:

"Now the third and final test, whelp... Ye must get me… all of the pardon papers for each and every pirate in the Caribbean!! And ye know where to get them, don't ye?", Davy Jones grinned and watched as Will's eyes grew big and he paled a little.

"Cutler Beckett…", Will whispered which was followed by a roar of laughter from the crew.

COPYRIGHT 2008 –

PLEASE R&R! THANK YOU!


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII

"Cutler Beckett indeed, whelp…", Davy Jones snorted with a skew grin and pointed at something behind Will. With a lump in his throat Will turned his head, not knowing what to expect – and right there, only about one nautical mile away, was the coast and harbor of Port Royal... How on earth had they ended up here??? Will hadn't even noticed the ship as much as moving. Will turned his head back to stare at Davy Jones:

"But how am I supposed to....", Will started, but was interrupted when one of Davy's broad hands was placed on his shoulder:

"Ye'll figure it out...!", Davy Jones grinned as he suddenly violently pushed Will, making him stumble and hit the railing – sending him into the rather shallow waters of the Caribbean sea below. With a splash Will broke the crystal blue surface of the sea, and quickly he resurfaced, looking up at the grinning face of Davy Jones who was looking at him from the railing of the Dutchman.

"We'll be waiting right here! Ye have two hours, kid!", Davy Jones yelled and then disappeared with a snort from the railing and out of Will's sight. Swallowing Will quickly turned in the water and started swimming... for land, for the cliffs right next to the harbor. It would be best if no one saw him. After all it WOULD seem a little strange to just come swimming ashore AND being a pirate at the same time – it would be prison right away. So Will swam as fast as he could and within a few minutes he reached the slimy bottom of the cliffs – grabbing a hold of the nearest rock he could find, gasping for air. For a few seconds Will was just leaning against the cliff, resting his sore body and catching his breath.

"Two hours...", Will gasped silently to himself. That wasn't much. Slowly swimming along with the cliffs Will quickly gained contact with the white sand sea bottom – and trying not to splash too much for someone to hear him he closed in on the sandy beach of Port Royal. Hiding behind a fisherman's boat he edged his way onto the beach, running from stacked barrels of dried fish and rum to boats with their bellies in the air lying in the sand. Only a few fishermen were to be seen... no soldiers this afternoon, and no Royal ships. The memories flooded Will's brain again and he felt his stomach turn.... he could still see the men in red coats falling into the water, screaming. Shaking his head to clear his mind Will made his way for a narrow street leading into the town of Port Royal. He had to get into the fort somehow. But first he had to reach it – and without being seen. Soaking wet Will walked along the cliffs and stuck his head into the small, dusty street – no one was there, coast was clear. So he started walking as silently as he could on bare feet... looking for any kind of clothing hung out to dry by the small wooden houses of the poor quarter. He had to get rid of these wet clothes, or he would attract way too much attention if he happened to run into someone. And bingo – just by a small shed there was a clothing line with a.... dress on it. But when he looked behind the shed, carefully stepping on the long, dry grass he immediately noticed a brown pair of pants and a beige shirt. Looking around to make sure that he hadn't been spotted, Will carefully felt the clothes – they were dry. Pulling it down from the string Will hid by the side of the shed, which was lined up with another shed on the opposite side... and within thirty seconds he had taken off his wet and shredded clothes and hurried to put on the dry ones. Quickly he put on the dry shirt and then the pants – which were about two sizes too big for him. He needed a belt or something the like if the pants weren't to fall down when he was walking. Looking around with a thumping heart he found a small piece of rope lying in the grass along with lots of empty bottles and other trash items. Putting the rope in the pants he tied a tight knot and as a small gesture of thanks he put his wet leather pants on the string... he felt guilty. He had never stolen anything in his life... until now. And he was about to steal again – and not just clothes, but government papers. Swallowing Will looked around the corner of the shed and onto the street – no one there. And so he walked out on the street and started to make his way towards the huge fort, towering above the town.

"What are you doing???!", someone suddenly said from behind him, and spinning around Will faced an elderly woman who was looking at him angrily. The door to the small shed was open and the woman pointed at the clothing line.

"I'm... I'm sorry, ma'am, but...!", Will began, but he was immediately interrupted by the upset woman with the wrinkled face and grey hair:

"You should be ashamed of yourself, young man!! Stealing the clothes from the poor! What is the matter with you?!", she almost yelled and Will tried feverishly to shush her.

"Don't you shush at me, boy!! Give it back, it be me husband's finest Sunday's wear!", she yelled and Will started to hear stirring coming from the other sheds surrounding this one.

"Please, ma'am, I can explain – I'll give it all back, I promise...!", Will whispered desperately, but the woman suddenly grabbed a hold of his collar and started shaking him as if he was a small child.

"You give it back right now!!", she hollered and now suddenly an old man stuck his head out the shed door:

"Madeleine, what is this racket?", he said and then stared at Will:

"What the...!?", he began and then disappeared back into the shed. Will's eyebrows rose.

"That's right, Gilbert, get yer rifle and let this thief have a taste!", she yelled and immediately Will grabbed a hold of the woman's hands and made her let go of his collar:

"I swear, you will get it back!! I am sorry!!", Will said and then turned around and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.

"STOP THAT THIEF!!", the old woman screamed from the top of her lungs, and almost all of the shed doors banged open and people stuck their heads out and looked down the street. Also the man Gilbert was out, naked, only carrying a rifle. However there was no sight of Will. He had been smart enough to run in between the sheds – but now he had no choice but to head for the inner town, where there would probably be a lot of people. Running through the high, pricking grass he suddenly found himself on the main street of Port Royal. Here there wasn't dust or gravel or grass – but cobble stone. And several people were standing behind stands full of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and all other kinds of supplies. Bowing his head and not looking at anyone Will walked as normally as he could on his now even more smarting ankle towards the fort. No one seemed to take notice to him, which was a relief.

"Fresh fish, fresh fish!!"

"Try this fruit, sir!!"

"Finest meat in Port Royal!!"

All of the merchants' voices seemed to pierce Will's ears and he never looked up from the cobble stones on which he was walking. The merchants soon realized that he wasn't interested in any shopping and they quickly directed their attention to the next person in line. Now Will could actually see the fort... and one of the entrances. Walking past a tavern a bottle whistled right past Will and shattered against a house facade on the opposite side of the street. Another bar fight, as usual. Even though it was hard Will still didn't remove his glance from the ground... if someone recognized him the whole mission could be sabotaged. Luckily no one did. Will carefully leaned against the wall of the last house which was closest to the fort entrance, and looked around discretely... No soldiers were there. None. 'No guards', Will thought to himself and suppressed a reliefed sigh. This would maybe be easier than he had first anticipated. Looking over his shoulder Will made sure that everyone on the street were busy looking at the stands and fast as lightning Will suddenly found himself inside the entrance in the shadows. Swallowing he looked out on the street – no one had noticed. And then he started up the stone stairs towards the big square of the fort... the closer he got the more yelling and screaming he could hear and with wrinkled brows he stuck his head out into the orange afternoon light on the square. In disgust Will watched how several men were escorted up to the newly built platform with the nooses hanging ready... they were probably pirates. Or maybe thieves... like himself. Looking up Will couldn't spot anyone on the tribune of the fort where the sentences were usually read out loud. The hangman wasn't to be seen either... but he would definitely be here shortly. Just like Cutler Beckett... Will felt the lump in his throat again. He had to act fast. And with a wobbly ankle he walked as fast as he could to the next entrance, following the inside wall of the square. No one noticed him, everyone had their eyes on the doomed men and were busy cheering in their blood lust. Will shook his head as he disappeared into the entrance to the tribune... Cutler Beckett's office was just behind it, and he had to get there pretty fast. According to the sun almost an hour had passed already and Will was running out of precious time. As he quietly walked up the narrow stairs his ears picked up some men talking in low voices and it sounded like they were standing just on top of the stairs... not good. Will was unarmed. However there was a burning torch on the stone wall – which Will immediately grabbed. The handle of the torch was burning hot, but it was his only option. Carefully walking up the stairs Will held the torch in front of him, lighting his way and ready to scare any opponent. As he reached the fifth last step on the stairs he could hear the conversation get louder, but still not loud enough to hear what they were talking about. Or who it was. If he took just one more step the men on top of the stairs would be able to see the light from the torch AND him... taking a deep breath Will took the step and the conversation immediately came to an abrupt hold. Staring directly into the eyes of two red coats Will lunged forwards and up the last few steps, waving the torch frantically to and fro – the men took two steps backwards in surprise, but immediately drew their swords, ready to cut the imposter down. However Will was quick – and he kicked the sword out of the hand of one of them. The sword landed by the wall with a metallic 'clunk' and Will immediately threw the torch at the remaining armed soldier, who ducked, sending the torch flying to the floor on the tribune. Will hurried to pick up the sword by the wall and right away the armed red coat was right in front of him.

"RING THE ALARM!!", the man yelled to his fellow soldier, who turned around and started running. Will wanted to follow, but the soldier was completely blocking his entire field of vision. He had no choice but to fight him. Even before he had thought that thought the blades of the swords were meeting in mid-air, sparks flying to the sides.

"Listen, I don't want to fight you!!", Will said under his breath as the blades were pressed against each other and they were face to face, sweat starting to form on their foreheads. However the soldier didn't seem to even hear him and he started to almost fling the sword at Will, who kept either ducking or jumping to avoid losing a limb.

"You're a dead man!", the soldier gasped in frustration as he suddenly kicked out at Will – the heavy boot hit Will right on the thigh, and with a yelp he almost dropped his sword from the pain. His thigh muscle was aching like crazy and he almost couldn't support his weight on that leg... now he was the proud owner of one smarting ankle and one paralyzed thigh... this wasn't good odds. The sword was whistling just past Will again when suddenly he noticed something behind the soldier – the torch which had landed on the floor had set fire to some heavy drapes hanging down from the ceiling and a carpet on the stone floor had also caught on fire.

"Fire!!", Will yelled and for a moment the soldier seemed to freeze in confusion. He then followed Will's glance and looked behind him:

"Oh my god!", he burst out and turned his face back to Will:

"You will hang for this!", he yelled and raised his sword again. But Will suddenly stepped up the the man who had his sword raised almost behind his head and let his fist smack into his cheek bone. Without another sound the soldier fell to the floor, knocked out completely. Will rubbed his aching fist – where was Cutler Beckett?? Just as Will looked to the side and noticed an almost hidden door the alarm bells went off, seemingly shredding his ear drums. Quickly Will shoved the unconscious soldier down on the second step on the stairs to save him from the fire – and tore the door open. Within a split second Will was inside and shut the door, locking it. As he turned his head he was standing face to face with none other than Cutler Beckett who had been on his way out because of the alarms.

"YOU...!", Beckett burst out and fumbled for his sword – however Will immediately stopped him by pointing his sword at him.

"We don't have much time... I need the pardon papers on every pirate in the Caribbean before they are burnt to ashes.. along with us!", Will said and forced Beckett to take a step backwards towards his desk. A skew smile suddenly appeared on his lips:

"Over my dead body, Turner!", he hissed as a door in the left side of the room was suddenly flung open and three soldiers stormed in with their swords raised.

PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW – THANK YOU.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX

Will was taken completely by surprise when the three red coats stormed in from the left side of the room and he immediately directed his sword at them, removing his stare from Beckett. For a few seconds there was complete silence, just glare against glare. Will's eyes shifted between the three soldiers... In the few seconds of lacking attention from Will's side the sword was suddenly pulled from his hands – and he stared directly back at Cutler Beckett. Beckett's steel blue eyes met his and a skew smile formed on his lips when he flung the sword which had been in Will's hand to the side and drew his own. Suddenly a sword tip was under Will's chin, pressing so hard that it almost split the skin. Cutler Beckett was just staring at Will with his piercing greyish eyes:

"And how exactly do you presume to get a hold of said papers?", he asked coldly and pressed the tip of the sword even harder against Will's chin, drawing a bit of blood. Will winced, but didn't utter a sound – he just stared right back at his enemy. The three soldiers in the background were coming closer and Will felt his heart creep up into his throat... it was beating so hard that he felt like he almost went deaf, and he just stared at Beckett and silently said:

"If not by your free will then by force", he said quietly – which was met by something which resembled a roar of laughter from the four men in front of him. Now four sword tips were pointed against him. Will felt his dark brown eyes start to wander about nervously, from one face to another. Cutler Beckett stepped a bit closer to him, still with the skew smile on his lips:

"By force you say... and where is said force???", Beckett grinned as he suddenly placed the blade of the sword on Will's cheek, forcing his head a bit to the side. Will swallowed as his glance still wandered... and then focused on a little wooden box on the desk behind Beckett. A corner of a piece of paper was sticking out. And Will quickly figured that that box had to contain the valuable pardon papers... but still... they needed a seal... a seal... the ring and the scrap of red wax stick were lying almost right next to the box, where the flames from a candle were lighting it all up. Beckett forced Will's head further to the side with the blade, repeating his question.

"What is going on, there's a fire and...?!", a voice suddenly said and everyone – except Will, who was more or less frozen – turned their heads towards the door to the tribune.

"Mr Swann... How very nice to see you again", Beckett said as he directed his steel glance towards the former governor.

"Now the fire will put out shortly and this scoundrel will join the others by the noose. Do not worry", Beckett said in a formal tone of voice as he watched how the old, wigged man stared at him and Will:

"Turner....??", Mr Swann said under his breath and suddenly almost lunged forward, pushing Beckett's blade out of the way and away from Will's face:

"William Turner...! Where is my daughter??? Is Elizabeth alright???", the old man almost yelled as he grabbed a hold of Will's collar, clinging to him face to face. Beckett rolled his eyes:

"Oh please, no more embarrassments...!", he said as he grabbed a hold of Mr Swann's shoulder and spun him around to face him:

"You are pathetic, old man", Beckett said without a single form of facial expression and then pushed him, making him stumble backwards – Will immediately caught him and straightened him back up.

"How dare you......!", the former governor started, but Beckett suddenly pointed his sword at him, his blue grey eyes sparkling with anger:

"Look at you! You have been degraded to nothing more than a bug that I'd like to step o....!!", Beckett hissed, but was suddenly interrupted when Will saw his chance to snatch the sword out of Beckett's hand - and within a split second Will had smoothly grabbed Beckett in a hard grasp, pressing the sword against his throat. A gasp sounded from the three soldiers who seemed to kind of freeze while Mr Swann corrected his wig and stared at the scenario with wide open eyes. Beckett's eyes were wide open too – he was shocked by Will's lightning fast reaction and his own few seconds of distraction. He was completely frozen as he felt the cold metal against his skin and tried desperately to contemplate his next move. The three soldiers were frozen as well, just staring in disbelief at Will.

"Put your swords down!", Will commanded and hesitantly the red coats put their swords down on the floor. The sound of the fire outside the door was getting stronger and Will could hear people running to and fro to try and put it out. Didn't sound like they were succeeding. A fast glance at the door to the tribune made Will realize that he was running out of time – the metal handle had started melting from the intense heat and flames were licking up from the gap between the door and the floor. Smoke had also slipped in and had clouded the room, making everyone cough and their eyes were running with water.

"What is happening?? Turner...??", Mr Swann suddenly burst out as he stared at Will almost pleadingly, looking from Beckett to Will. Will blinked his eyes to try and get the smoke out of them as he looked at the former governor:

"Elizabeth is fine, sir", he said as he pointed at the little wooden box on the desk. Mr Swann sighed in relief and a smile came on display on his lips:

"Oh thank god!! Where is she??", he asked and ignored Will's pointing, all he could think about right now was his daughter's safety. Will looked at Mr Swann:

"She is on the Pearl... now please, sir... before we are all killed from smoke poisoning, please, could you put your seal on the papers in the box???", Will pleaded and watched how Mr Swann's eyebrows rose in surprise. Correcting his wig again he stared at Will in disbelief:

"The pardon papers you mean??? But Mr Turner, I do not have the authority to...", he started, but Will cut him off:

"Does Beckett look to have much authority right now? Use his ring and seal! Please, hurry!", Will said and confused Mr Swann nodded and ran to the desk where he grabbed the scrap on the wax stick and held it into the flame from the candle. With his other hand he tore the papers out of the box and spread them out on the table top. But these were all names of condemned pirates...??

"Mr Turner...", Mr Swann began and then started coughing from the smoke, which got more and more intense and heavy in the small room.

"You will hang for this, Swann!!", Beckett suddenly burst out, but Will just pressed the blade harder against the side of his neck. Mr Swann looked at Beckett:

"You are the one who should hang..... SIR!", he said as he grabbed the ring, put the wax on the papers and pressed the ring with the seal down on them, freeing the men in one swift movement. He then grabbed the papers, folded them and walked back to Will:

"What to do now, Mr Turner....??", he asked and Will's glance landed on the door from which the three soldiers had come.

"We have to escape..."

"WE??", Mr Swann said in confusion.

"Yes, WE... You cannot stay here, Sir... follow me!", Will said and started moving towards the soldiers, who immediately backed up. Mr Swann reluctantly followed, holding a scarf in front of his mouth in order not to choke from the smoke. Mr Swann opened the door and with that Will suddenly pushed Beckett forwards, making him land in the arms of the soldiers, who all fell on their rear ends.

"Run, Sir!!", Will burst out and they both started running down the stone stairs inside the wall of the fort. Behind them they could clearly hear Beckett's furious voice:

"Get them!!!! They shall both meet the hangman's noose!!!!!"


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER X

Mr Swann was starting to cough violently, both from the smoke which they had just left and from exhaustion. The staircase seemed to go on forever in circles downwards... Suddenly Mr Swann stopped and grabbed a hold of the rope on the inner wall of the staircase, heaving for air. Will was just behind him:

"Sir, we don't have time to...!", Will began as the sounds of Beckett and his men came closer. However the old man interrupted him:

"My body is too old for escapades such as this, Mr Turner", Swann said and coughed again. Will grabbed a re-assuring hold of the elderly man's shoulder:

"Listen, do you really think that Elizabeth want to see her father hang?", Will asked, intentionally provoking the wigged man. And with that Mr Swann lunged downwards and started running as fast as he could down the dimly lit stairs. Will was much faster, but he couldn't leave his soon to be father-in-law behind. Soon they could see some rays of light pouring in from below – they were out soon! However Beckett and his men were closing in on them rather quickly.

"We are almost out, sir, keep running!!", Will almost cheered and surprisingly enough it seemed to work – the old man was picking up the pace. It was probably the thought of his daughter that kept him moving. Suddenly the mid-day sun's light hit them square in the face and they found themselves with gravel under their boots... they had made it out. But it wouldn't take many seconds before Beckett was as well. Will immediately looked around to find an escape route, and his eyes quickly settled on a narrow passage in between some sheds.

"Sir, in there!", Will whispered as he pointed at the sheds, and Mr Swann blinked a few times... this was a whole new, almost unbelievable scenario for him. Not only had he betrayed the Royal Navy and set free all pirates, but now he was on his way to a pirate ship, through the back yards of the poor quarter. This had to be a dream.

"Governor, please!!", Will yelled, and grabbed a hold of Mr Swann's jacket as he forced him to run in between the sheds and through the back yards. And it was in the nick of time. They had just rounded a corner when they heard Beckett's furious voice by the fort wall:

"Where are they?! FIND THEM OR BE CUT DOWN!", he almost howled and as Will and Mr Swann were running they could hear how the footsteps of the three soldiers spread out somewhere behind them. They had to keep up the pace, or they would definitely get caught.

"How did you open the door to Beckett's office??", Will gasped as it suddenly dawned on him that he had actually locked the door behind him when he had entered. Mr Swann forced a smile:

"It used to be MY office... I have a spare key", he grunted, trying to focus on his breathing. Will's eyebrows rose a bit:

"Does Beckett know you have a key?", Will asked as they stormed into another backyard full of pricking grass and bamboo.

"Well, he does now... Please be quiet...!", Mr Swann gasped as he felt his heart racing like back in the day when he was a lad. He just hoped that this extreme form of exercise wouldn't result in a heart attack. And talking while running definitely wasn't improving his running stamina. Will swallowed and obeyed the old man, as they sprinted like mice through the yards. Will looked up at the sun – about one hour and a half had passed. They were running out of precious time... And what was he to do with Mr Swann? He definitely couldn't bring him aboard the Flying Dutchman... He wondered if Elizabeth was alright.... if the Pearl was alright with all of its crew. And how far away it was. Suddenly Will 'woke up' as his face smashed directly into something soft and wet – stumbling backwards a bit he looked surprised at his old trousers which were still hanging on the clothing line. He was back in the yard which he had come from earlier.

"Why did we stop??", Mr Swann suddenly asked and broke Will's chain of thought. Will quickly looked at the old man:

"I think we better...", he started, but was interrupted:

"YOU again!!", the old, wrinkled woman shrieked as she directed her hook-like finger at Will.

"What have ye come to steal from us this time, scoundrel?? And who's yer sidekick?", she hissed and yelled for her husband. Rummaging could be heard from inside the shed, and before they knew of it the bald man was pointing a rifle at them.

"Oh goodness...", Mr Swann burst out under his breath. Will immediately stuck his hands in the air:

"Do not shoot!", he said and the brows rose on each of the old, poor people's faces.

"Tell me just ONE good reason not to!", the man with the rifle growled. Will swallowed:

"Because I have come back to replace what I stole from you", Will said and the old couple looked at each other suspiciously. Slowly the man lowered the rifle:

"And how do ye intend to pay us back? And who's he? Ye going to some carnival??", the man asked, refering to Mr Swann's elaborate uniform and his wig.

"You don't recognize him? This is governor Swann", Will said, looking over his shoulder as he thought he heard footsteps approaching.

"That's the gov'ner?", the man asked confused and looked at Mr Swann, who was just smiling insecurely at him.

"In the flesh, and now we have to go, but this is for you", Will said as he grabbed a hold of one of the medals on Mr Swann's uniform and handed it to the old man.

"Hey!!", Mr Swann burst out, but Will shushed him:

"You won't be needing them anymore anyway", he said and watched how the man with the rifle bit down on the medal... his eyes grew big:

"But this is GOLD!?", he said flabbergasted and Will nodded:

"That will buy you plenty of Sunday's wear – and this...", Will said as he took a smaller silver medal from Mr Swann and handed it over:

"...will keep you from talking if anyone asks for us?", Will asked and let the medal dingle in front of the man's face.

"I haven't seen nothin'", the man said smiling and Will gave him the medal.

"Thank you", Will said and grabbed a hold of Mr Swann, pulling him into yet another yard.

"You took my medals!!", Mr Swann burst out and looked at Will.

"Well, would you rather be full of medals and dead or two medals poorer and alive?", Will asked with a small grin. Mr Swann sighed:

"You have a point", he just said as he turned around and started running again. Will was impressed with the old man's determination and understanding of the situation. And he followed Mr Swann to the edge of the town which was just two yards away. Now they could see the beach and with no further a due Will instructed Mr Swann on how to get out into the water unnoticed. The old man didn't seem too excited with the whole getting-wet-thing, but he knew that there was no other way out. However he didn't know how Will's mind was racing – where was the governor to go?? He surely couldn't take him aboard the Flying Dutchman... and had the Pearl been sunk or was she alright?? And WHERE was she??

"Mr Turner, we have to go!", Mr Swann suddenly said and only now Will realized that the old man was pulling on his sleeve rather feverishly. Behind them the sound of running footsteps was coming closer. Quickly Will almost dragged the governor to the side of the beach, away from all of the ships and people in front of them, and they reached the tall, brown cliffs from where Will had first come. Silently they walked into the water and quickly rounded a corner, which made them invisible from the coast. Here they took a small breather, leaning against the rather slimy cliffs. Will swallowed hard as he looked at the governor... he had to tell him. But how??

"Sir, I...", Will began, but was cut off by the old man:

"What a chase!", Mr Swann burst out, almost enthusiastically as he wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

"Where to now?", he asked and smiled at Will. Will lowered his head a bit and the governor frowned:

"You DO have a plan, do you not?", he asked and put a hand on the young man's shoulder. Will finally sighed at looked up at Mr Swann:

"Actually I...", he started, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice from some place behind him:

"Aye!! There ye are!!"

Both men turned around, startled, and were surprised to see Mr Gibbs in a small boat approaching them. A smile appeared on Will's tanned face – the governor was saved!!

"Mr Gibbs!!", Will burst out and they started wading towards the boat. Quickly Gibbs was there and smiled at the two fugitives.

"How did you know we were here??", Will asked and looked at Mr Gibbs, who started looking up in the sky as if he had seen something very interesting.

"Mr Gibbs?", Will pleaded and the grey bearded man looked at him again:

"Actually I was looking for yer body... along with Jack's.... doin' a little fishing as well... quite a coincidence to find the two of YOU... Thrilled to see ye alive, lad! But where's Jack and what is the governor doing here??", Gibbs asked confused.

"Well, let's just say that Mr Swann has to go with you. And I still have to free Jack. Is Elizabeth alright???", Will asked and Mr Gibbs nodded:

"She is fine... she's actually the one who sent me out scouring the Caribbean sea, mate!", Gibbs grinned and reached his hand out towards the governor:

"Are ye coming? And no anti-pirate-actions, savvy?", Gibbs smiled and Mr Swann immediately smiled and nodded his head:

"I just want to see my daughter... and maybe join your crew, sir", he said and Gibbs' jaw dropped. What was this now? Insecurely Gibbs looked at Will, who was also nodding and smiling.

"Alright then!", Gibbs said and helped Mr Swann aboard. Will reached out his hand towards the old man:

"Euh, Mr Swann??", he said and the governor looked at him with a broad smile:

"Yes, are you coming?", he asked. Will swallowed again:

"I cannot join you... I have to save Jack... and for that I need the papers", Will said.

"Oh....!", Mr Swann said and rummaged inside his uniform and pulled out the bundle of papers. Carefully he handed them to Will:

"Good luck, son. I don't know where you are going... but you better come back unharmed", he said and forced a smile. Will smiled back:

"I will.... and so will Jack... thank you. Now hurry, you better get out of here", Will said and Gibbs immediately started rowing the boat away. Soon they were just a dot on the horizon... and Will waited as he looked at the sun – exactly two hours. Will could hear yells and noise from the beach behind the cliffs... the soldiers couldn't find them which apparently caused Beckett to yell out some quite nasty obscenities. Suddenly a splash was heard and Will immediately returned his gaze to the deep water in front of him – and there it emerged, the Flying Dutchman. Davy Jones was standing on the deck, water exploding around the ship's hull.

"Well, hello whelp", Davy's voice almost growled. And Will made his way to the ship and climbed aboard. Davy Jones looked him up and down:

"Ye have a lot of nerve to go back here... are ye suicidal, kid?", Davy said with a skew, mutated smile. He obviously didn't think that Will had completed the task.

"Ye must really loooove yer captain!", Davy howled and started laughing along with the crew. However Will reached inside his shirt and pulled out the pardon papers, reaching them towards Davy Jones. Silence immediately fell. With a hiss Davy grabbed the papers and rolled them out, convinced that they were fake. But then he saw Beckett's red wax seal.....

"NO!!!!", he growled and smacked one of his tentacles into Will's left cheekbone, making him tumble to the deck. Will got up quickly:

"Now you have to set us free! I am his champion, remember? And this was the final test!", Will yelled and stared at Davy Jones, whose eyes were wide in anger. With a grunt Davy looked back at Will:

"You are free...!", he said and from below deck two fish-eyed men carried Jack between them. Will' stomach turned again as soon as he saw Jack... but he had to remember that Jack had only been a disguise.

"Jack!!", Will burst out and hurried to his side. Jack's head was dangling, but he was awake:

"Will..?", he said and squeezed his eyes shut as the two men dropped him onto the deck. A groan escaped Jack as his bloody back hit the planks. Will knelt beside him:

"It's alright, Jack... it's over", Will whispered and looked back at Davy Jones:

"And now all pirates are free!", he said and smiled. He had really completed what every pirate had tried to do for centuries. Davy Jones looked down at him:

"Are they?", he said as he held the papers in front of Will's face.

"That is Cutler Beckett's official seal, so yes, all pirates are free!", Will said. Davy Jones let out a grin:

"I don't think so... then I would be pretty much out of business, now wouldn't I?", he grunted as he suddenly started ripping the papers.

"NO!!", Will yelled and grabbed a hold of Davy's tentacles. However he was only hurled into the mast and fell to the ground. Looking up Will was just in time to see the ripped paper pieces fall into the water.

"You bastard!!", Will yelled and got back up, wobbly. So it had just been for the sake of the test... to make it impossible.

"You tricked me", Will said and rubbed his sore arm, which had hit the mast.

"Indeed... but now ye are free. Get off!", Davy Jones snorted and pointed out into the water. Will's eyebrows rose:

"You have to give us a boat!", Will said, but Davy merely grinned:

"That wasn't part of the deal, now was it? We agreed that ye would be set free if ye completed the tests, but ye were the one who forgot to specify when and where", Davy laughed and started approaching Will to throw him and Jack overboard. Jack was too weak to swim and they would definitely be caught by the soldiers without a boat. Will swallowed.

"I challenge you!!", Will burst out and a gasp sounded from the crew. Davy Jones looked at him surprised:

"Ye challenge me, whelp...?", he asked and a skew smile spread on his face.

"Yes!", Will said.

"Ye ARE suicidal...!", Davy snorted.

"All I ask is if I lose Jack is still set free – in a boat – and if I win we will BOTH be set free – in a boat!", Will said and Davy's eyebrows rose. It was better than losing both souls anyway.

"DEAL", Davy grunted.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER XI

"What??!", Jack suddenly burst out as he lay there on the deck, still drowsy and exhausted from the pain of the whipping. He couldn't believe what he thought he had just heard. Will knelt down beside his captain again:

"It's the only way, Jack", he said and looked back at Davy Jones, who was just standing there with a big grin on his greenish face. Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes were trying their best to focus on Will's face:

"Ye will be killed, mate!", Jack mumbled and also looked at Davy, who just sent him a skew smile.

"It's too late, Jack... And don't worry...", Will said as he got back up:

"I won't die", Will exclaimed, even though the insecurity was bubbling inside him like sulphuric acid. Again Will couldn't ignore the searing pain from the intense whipping... Luckily the salty waters of the Caribbean sea had cleaned the wounds, painfully but surely. And another pain was present... the other thing... His stomach turned once more as he thought of this whole ordeal. The brig... the brig.... Shaking his head he tried to lose the thoughts of the violation, but they wouldn't go away.

"Something on yer mind, whelp?", Davy Jones suddenly laughed and the rest of the crew immediately joined in, laughing hoarsely. Will just sent Davy an ice cold stare.

"Let us get started", Will said under his breath and grabbed a sword from one of the crew members. Will knew that he couldn't kill Davy without piercing the captain's heart... which he WOULD as soon as he found it... but at least maybe he could humiliate him in front of his crew AND save both himself and Jack.

"Start we shall!", Davy snorted as he himself also grabbed a sword. Davy immediately started circling Will, who was slowly spinning around his own axis to keep in eye contact with the captain of the Dutchman. All sorts of thoughts were rummaging around inside Will's head... but he couldn't seem to find any sort of plan as to how to beat Davy Jones, the master of the seas. The only plan he had at the moment was NOT to get cut down. And this plan was quickly put to the test as Davy suddenly swung his cutlass at Will – the young man jumped backwards and his back crashed into the line of mutated crew members. Will let out a gasp of pain, as the sores from the whipping on his back were almost ripped open again. With a push from someone in the line he was sent back into "the ring" where Davy was waiting. Jack, who was still lying on the deck, was concentrated on focusing on the two fighting men... this wasn't good. Jack almost couldn't believe that he had dragged Will into this... not that he had ever thought that Will would actually come for him... but now he was probably guilty of Will's death just because....

"Is that all ye've got?!", Davy suddenly spat as the blade of his cutlass sliced through the air again. Will narrowed his eyes... he HAD to fight better than this. Or he would be killed. Davy was right. And with that in mind Will stormed forwards and swung his cutlass. A roar filled the air – and Jack let out a disgusted, muffled sound when a piece of a tentacle landed right next to his face.

"Eww...", Jack mumbled as his sight corrected itself while the crewmembers let out a gasp in surprise.

"Ye bastard...!!", Davy burst out and green saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. Will sent him a cold smile:

"I can do it again", he just said as he stared viciously at his opponent. Davy merely tilted his head:

"Don't ye worry – I've got lots more where that came from!", Davy snarled and suddenly jumped up on a barrel full of rum. Before Will knew what was going on, Davy had kicked the cutlass out of his hand and was now tightening one of his tentacles around Will's neck. A groan escaped Will as he felt his feet lose touch with the deck... He was now dangling in the air, desperately trying to pierce the tough flesh of the tentacle with his finger nails. A loud laugh came from Davy and the crew as the grip started to tighten even more.

"Are ye trying to tickle me, whelp??", Davy grinned.

Will's cheeks started to flush red from the lack of oxygen and suddenly a cutlass was caressing his semi-nude chest. Closing his eyes Will's thoughts were racing at such a pace that he didn't know if it was them or the lack of oxygen that made him dizzy. However his vision started to blacken...

"Look at yer champion now, Jack!", Davy howled mockingly and looked down – however Jack wasn't there??? Suddenly the crew started yelling something incoherent and pointing their fingers at something next to Davy Jones – who only was able to turn his head before Jack kicked at the barrel, making it tilt to the side. Davy's wooden leg started skidding on the wet wood of the barrel and the cutlass was dropped as he desperately tried to keep his balance – however he fell to the deck with a wet sound and an enraged roar. The tentacle automatically let go of Will's throat and he gasped violently for air as he lay on the planks. Jack had used all of his energy:

"Me champion looks just fine, ye slimebag...!", Jack burst out before falling on his rear end, completely exhausted. Davy Jones let out a highpitched growl as he stared at Jack:

"Keep the drunken idiot away from this fight!!", Davy commanded, and immediately some crewmembers grabbed a hold of Jack and forced him to sit by the railing, behind the line of cheering men.

"Ye cheated!", Davy snorted at Will who got back up on his feet and grabbed his sword. For a few seconds Will just stared at him...:

"Pirate...?", he just said and rubbed his sore throat as he sent Jack a smile. He had saved his life... Jack had actually saved his life.

"Well, get ready to die, whelp!", Davy hissed as he picked up his cutlass and started circling Will again. Will was using everything he had ever learned about sword fighting... stepping just right, being ever ready... it had to pay off. Davy Jones was definitely a good sword's... man.... but Will HAD to be better! Davy attacked again and this time the blades met in mid-air, making sparks fly. An annoyed grunt came from Davy as he stepped back a little, just as Will lunged forwards and the swords met again. Still circling each other Davy whispered hoarsely:

"So does Jack know yer dirty little secret??"

Will immediately froze as the memories rained painfully down on him again and the sensation of being sick spread throughout his body.

"What...?", Jack said somewhere in the background. And before Will knew it, Davy smacked directly into him, catching him under his weight. Will's cutlass was locked under Davy's slimy body and Davy smiled at him:

"Anything familiar about this, boy?", he grinned as one of his tentacles caressed Will's cheek. Will felt how his stomach turned violently and he tried to squirm out of Davy's hold. However he couldn't budge. Davy tilted his head and directed his ice blue stare at his victim:

"Anything ye would like to say before I run ye through... again?", he whispered under his breath and slowly raised his cutlass. Will felt his body twitch as a ray of sun glimmered in the steel blade of Davy's sword. The memories... the brig... the brig... An enraged flow of what felt like magma suddenly exploded out into Will's veins, and he squirmed frantically while he tried to get a proper hold of his locked sword. Davy merely laughed while the crew roared with excitement.

"Oh well.... Say goodbye!", Davy snorted as he raised his sword to the maximum. But just as he was about to plunge it into Will's chest, he felt something. Something... wet... and warm.... Without knowing it Davy's eyes grew wide as the pain exploded in his abdomen and he stared perplexed at Will. With a stoneface Will was staring right back:

"Goodbye!", he said as he gave his sword another push, making it appear out from Davy's back for the crew to see. Complete silence fell. Jaws dropped. The men were in awe... A groan came from Davy Jones as he looked down and saw Will's sword disappear into his green stomach. Then Davy's eyes seemed to return into their normal selves again, enraged and utterly frustrated:

"NOOOOO!!!!!", he screamed as he got up, making green blood spray to the sides as Will's sword was pulled out of his stomach. Almost scared of himself Will was still lying there, with his now green sword pointing at the sky. He had beat him. He had beat Davy Jones!

"Can we go now then?", Jack's voice suddenly asked from behind the crew men. Davy's head snapped to the side:

"SHUT UP!!", he growled as he was heaving for air, completely enraged. Will had in the meantime got back on his feet:

"I beat you in a fair fight. We have an accord. You have to let us go", Will merely said as he dropped his cutlass on to the deck. From the back of the crowd Will's eye caught a glimpse of an orange sea star and in between some broad shoulders Will's father's face appeared. He smiled proudly at his son. Will smiled back just before his father disappeared again. Davy Jones glared at Will:

"THEN GET OFF! GET OFF MY SHIP!!!!", he roared and nodded at some crew men to fix them a boat. Quickly the boat was in the water and Will was standing by the railing, helping Jack to get up on his feet. Davy was piercing them with his eyes:

"It's not over, boy!!", he hissed as Will helped Jack on board the boat. Will looked at Davy Jones:

"You are absolutely right... it is not over... I gave you a promise and I intend to keep it", Will said under his breath and watched as Davy tilted his head a bit.

"Ye will never find it, whelp!", Davy grinned and snorted. Will just smiled a bit:

"I keep my promises", Will said and Jack just nodded as he put the ores in the water. With a hint of something that resembled anxiety in his eyes Davy watched them as they sailed away towards Port Royal. With a huge jet of water the Flying Dutchman disappeared under the surface, muffling the furious scream coming from Davy Jones.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII

Sitting in the small vessel, Will was rowing like crazy. He couldn't wait to get back to Elizabeth... Jack was slumped against the railing in the middle of the boat – way too weak to row. Will's back was smarting like hell from the rowing movements, stretching his swollen and injured skin. Will looked down on Jack:

"Thank you for giving me a hand", Will said and Jack merely nodded drowsily:

"Any time, mate...", he mumbled and continued:

"And thanks for gettin' me off that damn ship... in a boat", he added and smiled at Will, who was sweating like mad under the blazing sun. The time had to be around 3.30 pm in the afternoon.

"Jack, how DID you end up on the Dutchman?", Will asked as his eyes were constantly scanning the horizon for any Royal Navy ships. Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes flickered a bit:

"Let's say it was a... favour... for a friend...", Jack said and watched how Will frowned. A favour for a friend? Will didn't understand any of this cryptic nonsense.

"How so?", Will asked, but Jack just pulled his hat down over his eyes:

"Too tired to answer. Will sleep now", Jack just said and within a few seconds he was snoring. Will sighed. What on earth was Jack rambling about?? 'Oh well, he will tell me soon enough', Will thought as he kept rowing. And now something appeared on the horizon... Will's hazel eyes narrowed in order to see it clearly. It was black ragged sails!

"The Pearl...", Will said under his breath and started rowing even faster. He hadn't reached Port Royal yet, and the Pearl was on his side of the dangerous and well-guarded waters. Soon the fastest ship in the Caribbean had reached the small boat and Mr Gibbs threw down a rope.

"Will!!", Elizabeth burst out as her face appeared above the railing. A broad smile was decorating her beautiful face, and it felt like Will's heart was melting just by looking at her.

"Thank god you are alright!", she said and Jack tilted his hat upwards and looked at her:

"Why, thanks for yer concern", he said. Elizabeth smiled:

"You too, Jack", she said and started pulling on the rope which Will had tied around Jack's waist.

"Heave! Heave! Heave!", Mr Gibbs commanded, and several crewmembers helped getting the injured Jack on board. Will managed to crawl up the side of the Pearl on his own, even though it hurt. Jumping down on the deck Elizabeth and Mr Gibbs were there instantly, showering him with questions.

"How did you beat Davy???", Gibbs asked and Will told them about his ordeals, the tests and how Jack helped save him at the last minute. Both Elizabeth and Mr Gibbs were impressed with Will's story and Mr Gibbs clapped Will on the shoulder as a sign of the deepest respect:

"Thank ye for getting our captain back", Mr Gibbs said and returned to the wheel. Elizabeth carefully hugged Will, but it was only swift and short. Will swallowed... he still couldn't get his mind around the fact, that she was now married to Commodore Norrington. It hurt so much...

"But why was Jack even on the Dutchman??", Elizabeth suddenly asked, stopping Will's chain of thought. He then shrugged:

"I actually don't know... he was too worn out to tell me", he said and glanced at the closed double doors to the captain's quarters, where Jack was being tended to.

"Oh", Elizabeth just said, but looked at him with a smile:

"I am so happy that you avenged what Davy Jones did to you... And that it's over with all of the killing and...", Elizabeth began, but in a low voice Will interrupted her:

"It's not over...", he said under his breath and Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up:

"What???", she said and looked at Will questioningly. He had to be kidding?? Will looked at the planks for a moment, then back at Elizabeth:

"I have to find his heart... so I can kill him", Will said with something that looked like sorrow in his hazel eyes. Elizabeth fell silent for a few seconds. She couldn't believe that all of these ordeals weren't finally over as she had thought... But at the same time she understood. Teaching Davy Jones a lesson just didn't cut it...

"I understand...", Elizabeth said and smiled:

"Is there anything I can do? How will you find the heart?", she asked and Will rubbed his arm, which was still sore as the rest of his body.

"I don't... know...", he said and looked at the double doors to Jack's cabin again.

"But maybe he does", Will said and nodded towards the staircase. Elizabeth followed Will as he walked up the stairs and opened the doors to the dimly lit cabin... his stomach immediately turned and he could feel how he started shaking. Taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts, Will leaned against the little table next to Jack's bed, where some crew men were putting bandages on Jack's back.

"'Ello", Jack said and smiled at Will, who looked rather uncomfortable.

"Something wrong, mate?", Jack asked and looked at Will. Swallowing and trying to ignore the sensation of being sick, Will folded his arms:

"No....", Will said and looked shortly at Elizabeth, who was looking kind of sad... Elizabeth wondered if Will would ever tell Jack what had happened... no matter what, it was his choice when and where he wanted to tell it... and if he wanted to tell it.

"I was wondering if you have any idea where the heart of Davy Jones might be?", Will asked and Jack almost jumped a little, making him grimace from the pain. He then coughed:

"Are ye serious??", he asked and looked Will up and down. Will didn't like that stare.

"Yes, I am serious, Jack", Will said. For a moment there was silence.

"So ye really meant it...", Jack said and frowned a bit:

"But why?? Ye saved me, ye humiliated Davy... Why go to the extent to kill him? The Dutchman needs a captain, ye know", Jack said, but blinked in surprise when Will almost yelled:

"BECAUSE.....!!!"

Everyone fell completely silent, even the crew men who had been chatting vigorously. Even Will was a bit surprised by his sudden outburst. Jack nudged at the crew men to move, and slowly he got up from the bunk and approached Will. However Will pulled back a little. Jack stopped and just stared at the young man:

"There's something wrong, I can tell...", Jack said, but Will was quick to interrupt him:

"Nothing is wrong! I want him dead!", Will spat out and Jack almost took a step backwards. He had never seen Will like this before.

"Will, are ye scared of me?", Jack asked bewildered as he took another step towards Will, who again pulled back. Stopping dead in his tracks Jack just stared at Will, who seemed to be trembling. Jack was looking like one big question mark. What in the world was going on with his friend?? Suddenly Elizabeth pointed at the three crew men:

"You three, get out", she said, and they immediately looked at Jack.

"Ye heard the lady", Jack just said and the three men started walking towards the doors, looking at Will whose eyes seemed to be locked on Jack. Elizabeth followed the three men, closing the door silently behind them and walked down to the deck – leaving Will and Jack alone. It was painful enough to tell ONE person...

"What is going on with ye, mate?", Jack asked and tilted his head a bit as he stared at Will, who looked kind of like a rat trapped in a corner. Will blinked a few times:

"Where is the heart??", he asked again and again Jack looked puzzled.

"Ye can't just go around killing the captain of the Du...", Jack began, but suddenly he found Will's hands around his throat, squeezing shut his air pipe. Blinking surprised Jack grabbed a hold of Will's hands and tried to free himself, but Will kept trying to strangle him with a force that Jack didn't even know the young man had. As Jack's vision started to blur, he knew that he had to do something, and suddenly he kicked out and hit Will in the stomach – this made him let go with a loud cough and he collapsed onto his knees, heaving for air along with Jack. But only a few seconds later Will was standing back up and again he lunged forwards, trying to attack the captain of the Pearl – however Jack saw it coming and spun to the side, grabbing a hold of Will's arms, locking him so they were face to face:

"What the bloody hell is wrong with ye!!?", Jack yelled hoarsely, but Will didn't respond. Instead his eyes seemed to be blazing with fury. Trying to pull free Will's mind was spinning in a craze and before he knew it he was kicking at Jack's shin, making him cry out in pain.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!", Jack yelled as he suddenly forced Will down on the floor, fixating him with his own body. With all of his strength Jack held down his wrist and used all of his body weight to hold Will down. But suddenly Will went limp:

"No...! NO.....! DON'T!!! I'll do ANYTHING, please....!!", Will almost cried as he squeezed his eyes shut, blocking the view of Jack's face. Jack frowned again, completely confused:

"Do what, do what??", he asked as Will weakly tried to squirm free, but he wouldn't let him.

"Don't use me again!! DON'T!!!", Will cried, this time with tears rolling down his tanned face. Jack shook his head in disbelief:

"Use you??", he managed to say, before Will frantically answered:

"Yes, don't do it!! Kill me instead, please, please!!!", Will sobbed and now it kind of dawned on Jack:

"Oh my god...", he said as he got up and let go of Will, who immediately curled up in a fetal position, his shoulders shaking as the tears finally began to flow freely and out of control. Carefully Jack knelt down beside the young man:

"Will.... who used you??", Jack asked and watched as Will's entire body started to tremble.

"YOU did!! YOU DID!!!!", Will suddenly screamed and his fist was launched straight towards Jack's face. However Jack caught it:

"What???", he said.

"How could you... How could you do it to me...", Will almost chanted as he started rock to and fro. And NOW it finally dawned on Jack:

"Davy Jones!!! THAT GODLESS BASTARD!!!!", Jack roared and got up, pacing to and fro like mad, breathing heavily with anger. He then tried to get his mind together and again he knelt beside his friend:

"Listen... easy... easy....", Jack said quietly. Will was still covering his face in his hands as he was lying there, but Jack kept talking:

"You know it wasn't me... not the real me... It was Davy Jones, wasn't it?? That's how ye got onto the Dutchman, and why ye want to kill Davy.....", Jack said and now Will seemed to relax a little more:

"Y.. Yes...", he managed to answer in a shaky voice. Jack placed a caring hand on Will's shoulder, but the young man immediately moved.

"Listen... Will, listen to me. Look at me...", Jack said and finally Will lifted his head a bit and looked at Jack teary-eyed. Looking at his devastated friend, the rage was bubbling inside Jack:

"We will find the heart. I promise, Will!!", he said and reached out his hand. Slowly but surely Will regained control of himself and carefully shook the captain's hand.

"We have an accord", Jack said.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Out on the deck the crew had more or less gathered in small crowds, whispering and talking about what had happened in the Captain's quarters. The three crew members who had been attending Jack had of course spilled their guts about Will's weird behaviour and how Elizabeth had ordered them out of there. Elizabeth was standing along with her father by the railing on the starboard side, gazing at the horizon with a thumping heart – she had of course heard the noise coming from the cabin. They had been fighting obviously, but then it had fallen silent – and she was more than worried, though she didn't dare to enter.

"He's gone mad"

"Bodes ill"

"Maybe they have an affair"

"The kid's mental"

"Captain's always liked puppet"

These were some of the bits of sentences that Elizabeth's ears picked up with the gust of fresh sea winds, and immediately her cheeks flushed red with anger. Before she knew it she was standing by the mast, looking over the deck:

"SILENCE!!!!!", she yelled so loudly that everyone froze and instantly shut their mouths, turning their heads to look at her. For a moment they looked a bit confused and shocked... and so was Elizabeth, whose gaze shifted from one crew member to the other. Then the sound of low grinning started to spread amongst the crew, but that quickly subsided when Elizabeth unexpectedly continued:

"How dare you!?", she yelled, her voice almost cracking from the strength she applied to her vocal chords. The crew members looked at each other and shrugged.

"None of you have any idea what he has been through, yet you judge him like only cowards do!", she then said, this time in a lower tone of voice, though still close to yelling. The majority of the crew started biting their lower lips and lowering their gazes.

"Shame on all of you...!", Elizabeth said and started walking away from the mast – however suddenly all of the crew was surrounding her, bombarding her with questions concerning the incident:

"Has he got a sunburn...?"

"Did Jack flog him...?"

"Do ye and the Captain have an aff.....?", they all began, but Elizabeth spun around:

"NO!!!", she roared at the top of her lungs, making the crew jump a little in surprise.

"NO questions!!! Just do your job – which is mastering a ship, NOT chatting rumours like small children!", she spat, but in the same second the doors to the Captain's quarters opened and everyone let out a gasp and turned their heads. On the top of the stairs were Jack and Will looking down at them. Mr Gibbs who had been standing by the wheel all of the time, looked up too and gained eye contact with Jack, who looked kind of upset. Jack looked at the crew:

"Change of course, men! We're going up river!", Jack yelled and a gasp spread amongst the crew. The up-river-trip wasn't exactly popular... especially not with the superstitious Mr Gibbs, who immediately yelled:

"Jack, ye can't be serious! She's a witch!"

Jack merely nodded:

"That's kind of the point, Gibbs"

Mr Gibbs shook his head as he changed the course and headed for the mainland... 'This bodes ill', he thought.

Mr Swann turned to his daughter:

"Elizabeth, what on earth is happening?", he asked and was sad to see the almost hurt expression in his daughter's light brown eyes. The old man was utterly confused. Not only was both Turner and Sparrow acting weird, but his daughter was too. Like they were hiding something... something not so nice. Elizabeth just looked at her elderly father with the rather ruffled wig:

"I cannot say, father. You have to trust me", she said in a shaky voice as she turned to meet Will and Jack who were walking down the stairs towards them. In the meantime Jack had ordered every crew member to man their station, stopping the chatter.

"I trust you", Mr Swann whispered as his daughter walked away and hugged Will. Jack forced a smile:

"We have an accord, Turner and I", he said and looked at Will, who also forced a smile but for different reasons. He still had trouble being in Jack's presence... it was so hard to shake off the image of him as his rapist. But he trusted him... almost.

"So what is the plan??", Elizabeth asked and looked at them. Will looked at Jack too, even though he still didn't like it:

"Yes, why are we going up river?", he asked. Jack and Will hadn't discussed any details... Will had just taken Jack's word for it, amazingly enough. But honestly he had thought that this would take weeks of planning... he hadn't expected Jack to actually know where the heart was.

"The heart is up river then...?", Will asked enthusiastically and a genuine smile spread on his lips. Jack cleared his throat:

"Not exactly...", he said, but was immediately interrupted by both Will and Elizabeth:

"WHAT?"

Jack raised his hands in the air in his defence:

"Something we need... in order to get our filthy little hands on said heart.... IS up river, savvy?", he said and raised his eyebrows as he looked at them. Will and Elizabeth looked at each other:

"Oh...", they said simultaneously and then smiled. Jack bit his lower lip as he looked at the shoreline full of lush dark green mangrove trees. They were closing in fast. A dusk-like darkness soon enveloped the ship as the sun came out of reach behind the tall trees. Everyone on deck fell silent. It was an eerie, yet fascinating atmosphere here. Like day had turned into night. Mr Gibbs who was standing behind the wheel swallowed several times – and not because of the excellent skills it took to keep the ship from burying its belly in mud, but because of the whole sensation of actually BEING here. He didn't like it one bit. Soon the forest closed behind them and all sunlight was blocked.

"Bugger...", Mr Gibbs mumbled.

"What is this place?", Mr Swann whispered as he looked at the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, who was gazing into the forest line which was passing by rather quickly as they stood there on the starboard side of the Pearl.

"Cursed...", Mr Gibbs mumbled from behind the wheel.

"Oh, be quiet", Jack said and turned to the former governor of Port Royal:

"He's kind of right though... but it's a good kind of cursed, if I may say so... unless ye do something incredibly... stupid", he added and narrowed his eyes as he thought he could see some lights between the leaves of the trees by the next corner of the river.

"Oh, but...", Mr Swann began, but Jack shushed him:

"We're here", he said as candle lights floating on thick leaves started to pass the ship on the dark surface of the water. The yellow light from the candles lit up a tall wooden building on poles on the shore further down the river, which was starting to narrow.

"Anchor!", Jack yelled and everybody let out a shocked gasp as the eerie silence was so abruptly broken. The anchor was thrown out and slowly but surely the Pearl came to a hold. Everyone began edging towards the railing to have a look at the wooden plank house... Insecure expressions were on everyone's faces. The candles floating in the almost pitch black water counted at least two-hundred and was the only light here, except from a torch which was standing on the shore, buried almost up to the flame in mud. Jack looked up at the dimly lit cabin at the end of the strong poles...

"Welcome Jack Sparrow and William Turner", a female voice suddenly boomed, the sound seemingly coming from everywhere. All of the men expect Jack jumped a little and Elizabeth's eyes grew big. Without even registering it, Mr Swann took off the ruffled wig and pressed it against his chest.

"Ah, Tia Dalma! Do we really want to play this game every time I stop by?", Jack spoke into the open air.

"No, we don't... but it DOES make an impression, does it not?", a cloaked figure appearing by the forest line said. Everyone jerked their heads to the side and stared with their mouths open. Slowly Tia Dalma took off the black hood and looked up at the people by the railing:

"I do have what you seek... Come in", she merely said and smiled, revealing black teeth. Jack looked at Will with a skew smile and pressed his palms against each other, wriggling his fingers a bit as he ordered a boat into the water. Elizabeth, Mr Gibbs, Will and Jack were soon in the boat and paddled to shore where they were greeted with a black smile from the cloaked woman. Closely followed by one another they climbed up the ladder to the wooden cabin, Tia Dalma leading the way into her hut-like room. Everywhere weird objects, bottles and skeletons were dangling from the ceiling... and the room smelled like melted wax, cinnamon, scented candles and some sort of sour smell which couldn't be identified. Finally everyone had made it into the room and Tia Dalma turned to look at her visitors.

"So...", Tia Dalma just said in her mysterious accent and looked them up and down. But mostly her dark gaze was glued to Jack. Mr Gibbs was just staring at anything and everything but this witch woman, who to be honest scared the bejesus out of him. Elizabeth was discretely studying the room with all of its objects... And Will was looking around trying to figure out exactly what it WAS that they had come to get.

"Give it to me, Jack. And I shall accommodate your request... that is if you really do mean it", Tia Dalma said in her almost singing accent. Will and Elizabeth looked at Jack confused.

"Give her what?", Will asked perplexed and looked from Jack to Tia Dalma. Jack cleared his throat as he stuck his hand inside his shirt and rummaged about for something. Meanwhile a smile spread on Tia Dalma's dirty face:

"You have not told them... How wise... and quite selfless for a pirate like yourself, Jack Sparrow", she said, which only made Will and Elizabeth even more confused.

"Jack, what is she talking about?", Will asked, starting to get worried. Something wasn't right here... and Jack had been acting weird all day. A little giggle escaped Tia Dalma:

"You will know soon enough... young Turner", she said in a low tone of voice, as she reached out her hand towards Jack, who now pulled something shiny out from under his shirt. The many candles almost lit it up, sending sharp and blinding light rays to and fro in the room. It looked kind of familiar though, Will thought, as he looked closer with narrowed eyes. Jack put the object in Tia Dalma's hand... and then Will recognized it:

"It's the music box..!", he burst out and involuntarily took a step backwards. Elizabeth let out a small gasp. Everything seemed to come back to Will, everything he had felt and experienced seemed to flash to and fro in his mind. The music box. Davy Jones. And Jack. Will took another step backwards:

"Why do you have it?? And how did you get it?", he asked in a trembling voice. Elizabeth's warm hand was resting on Will's upper arm to try and calm him down... even though Elizabeth didn't feel very calm herself. Jack turned towards Will, who seemed to be ready to fire a fist. Jack lifted his hands to ensure Will that nothing was wrong, but it only seemed to agitate the young man further.

"Answer me, Jack! Or... am I really talking to Davy?", Will asked in a shaky, hoarse voice. He remembered all too clearly how the music box had exposed Davy Jones the first time...

"Calm down, children...", Tia Dalma's voice said softly, but Will's gaze didn't move an inch away from Jack. Slowly Tia Dalma walked up beside Will and put a hand on his shoulder – Will cringed a bit, but his focus didn't shift the least. Then she whispered in his ear:

"He will not hurt you... he will help you... and he is Jack Sparrow", she said and then withdrew a little:

"As a friend Jack got it for me... The music box belongs to me now... As night and day I will be a whole...", she smiled almost dreamily and then noticed how Will's glance was still piercing Jack, who was looking more innocent than she had ever seen him.

"I am a friend... Just as he is a friend", Tia Dalma then said and Will's facial expression changed from scared to puzzled... then to understanding:

"Did you say FRIEND?", Will asked as he looked Jack up and down hesitatingly. Jack forced a smile:

"Will, Tia Dalma is the friend a told you about in the boat... the favour, ye know", he said carefully and finally Will seemed to let his guard down a little.

"Oh...", he said and finally freed his gaze from Jack and looked at Tia Dalma. And as soon as he gained eye contact with her he knew that she was telling the truth. And that Jack was too.

"I snatched it from Davy during the fight", Jack said and smiled.

"What she needs it for is her business", he added and then stared at the wooden floor planks as if he was daydreaming about something. Will and Elizabeth both nodded. But then Elizabeth spoke:

"So that is why you were at the Dutchman?", she asked and Jack nodded. Silence fell for a few seconds... Then Will suddenly looked at Jack again:

"But what do you get in return?", he asked and tilted his head a bit in suspicion. Jack never did anything for free. So what was the reward?? Jack cleared his throat again and finally lifted his gaze, putting on a smile:

"Well, the key for the chest, of course...", he said and no one but Jack noticed how Tia Dalma shook her head lightly with a mysterious smile on her black lips. Will's eyes narrowed as he mind was racing...

"Wait... You didn't know that I was going to kill Davy... Not at that time!", he said, fear starting to rise in his stomach. Tia Dalma didn't quite like hearing the words 'kill Davy', but she understood why it had to be done... that was only one of the reasons why she needed his music box to match with her own. Again Will was agitated and nervous.

"Listen carefully... The key wasn't his reward... but it is now... because he traded it with something else", Tia Dalma said as she reached out her hand towards Jack. As she opened her palm a golden, shiny key shimmered in the dim light. Swallowing both Mr Gibbs, Jack, Elizabeth and Will leaned over to have a closer look... however the key didn't have any ragged edges as normal keys do... it was just a golden pin with the usual handle. They all frowned.

"But how...", Jack began, but Tia Dalma interrupted him:

"Will it open anything?", she smiled as she pressed the key into Jack's hand.

"Because it's a magical key... it will not only open the chest... but everything else also", she smiled and looked at Will:

"And what Jack traded for this key? In time maybe he will tell you... When the time comes... When the time comes", she almost chanted as she waved at them to leave. As they turned she sent Jack a final look:

"Good luck... It is done", she said and watched as they climbed down the ladder. All of their minds were racing... even Jack's. His heart seemed to be galloping and he couldn't quite get his mind around this situation. Neither could Mr Gibbs, Elizabeth or Will...

Soon they were hoisted aboard the black Pearl again and Jack took out his little compass. Behind him Will and Elizabeth were looking at each other, puzzled. Jack's eyes narrowed as the spinning arrow in the compass finally seemed to settle... now they just needed to get down river and out on open sea. Jack swallowed.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER XIV

Soon they were headed out of the narrow river mouth and waves began splashing against the hull. Everyone seemed to take a deep breath from relief, although the eerie atmosphere from the mangrove forest was still in the air... and on everyone's mind. Ever since Jack, Mr Gibbs, Elizabeth and Will had come back aboard the Pearl they had been acting rather strange and reserved – and the crew had definitely noticed, but didn't dare to ask questions. By the railing Will and Elizabeth were standing, gazing out on the dark forest line which became smaller and smaller on the blue horizon. By the wheel were Mr Gibbs and Jack. No one was talking or chatting anymore, instead there was a grave silence on deck AND below. Will turned his head to look at Jack and noticed how pale Mr Gibbs was looking... and even the tanned Jack had turned a little shade paler than usual. Will turned his head back to Elizabeth and squeezed her hand gently as if to say everything would be fine – even though he doubted it himself. Elizabeth forced a smile and placed her elbows on the railing, resting her head in her slender hands. Will could tell how much this whole situation troubled her... and especially the insecurity as to what was to happen next. Hell, they didn't even know the Pearl's destination – only that they were headed south. Will swallowed and involuntarily his hands turned into fists as everything flashed inside his mind again...

"Where do you think we are headed?", Elizabeth suddenly said lowly and directed her light brown eyes from the horizon to Will, who almost jumped as she broke his chain of thought. The tension in Will's body and muscles started to fade a little as he gained eye contact with her. He still couldn't believe that she was married... and married to Norrington. That night in the blacksmith where it all started had been the start of a downward spiral for Will... the only comfort he felt right now was the warm and concerned look from his beloved Elizabeth and the thought of piercing Davy Jones' heart. If he would succeed.

"I... don't know. But I think we are going for the heart", Will said and looked back at Jack and Mr Gibbs again. Jack was looking intensively at his compass, pointing his finger in the air for Mr Gibbs to try to follow. Will still couldn't shake off Tia Dalma's words – 'in time maybe he will tell you'... Will's entire being was longing to solve this puzzle, which he somehow seemed to be a part of. Something wasn't right. Something just wasn't right. Why had Jack lied when he was asked what he had traded? What DID he trade?? And why wouldn't he tell anyone about it, even Mr Gibbs? All of these questions were stirring up both Elizabeth's and Will's minds and without actually knowing it they were thinking the same thing: Jack had to be confronted.

"Let's ask him", Elizabeth suddenly said and forced another re-assuring smile as she nodded for Will to approach the wheel. He swallowed and then nodded... they HAD to find out where they were headed... along with their other questions. Even though Will still didn't like being too close to Jack. As they walked up to the wheel Mr Gibbs immediately sensed what was in the air and withdrew a few steps to the side to let them have a talk. Jack didn't even look up from his compass, it was like he hadn't even noticed them coming.

"Jack?", Will asked and looked at him as he corrected his hat – which by the way was sitting just fine. For a few seconds there was a tense silence... and finally Jack looked up from the compass and looked them up and down. He made a grimace as if they smelled really bad and then looked back at the compass as he turned the wheel slightly.

"Jack!", Elizabeth's light voice said and this time Jack again was a few seconds to look up from his precious compass. It was like he was far away in thoughts. Looking at them with his dark, kohl-rimmed eyes he cleared his throat and gestured for them to talk.

"Umm... Jack, where are we headed?", Will asked as he looked around to see if he could spot any land – and surprisingly enough there was a tiny spit of land ahead of the ship. Jack sighed lightly:

"We're headed for Isla De Tabeza... At least I think that's what the bloody thing's called", Jack said lowly as he pulled out and old, half-burnt map and put his dirty index finger on it for them to see. However he was pointing at a vast area of open sea. Both Elizabeth and Will frowned:

"But... Jack, there is only water there", Elizabeth said and looked at the Captain suspiciously. However Jack revealed a silver tooth in the first grin they had seen since they had left Tia Dalma. Jack then pointed ahead of him:

"Does that look like water to ye?", he asked as they both followed the invisible line of his pointing finger... to the little spit of land ahead of them.

"No... But how...?", Will started, but was interrupted by Jack:

"It's not on the map, mate... That's why he stored it there, savvy?", he said and lifted an index finger to his lips and shushed them teasingly. Will's eyes immediately shot wide open:

"You mean the heart?", he asked and looked at Jack, who nodded. A smile spread on Will's face... even though he had quite an ambivalent perception of Jack, he was quite sure that the man was actually telling the truth right now. And a stone seemed to fall from his heart.

"When will we be there?", Will asked eagerly and Elizabeth was just standing there, watching the conversation like a game of ping pong. Jack raised his arm into the air with a kind of spastic movement:

"Twenty minutes approximately... Now bugger off", he added with a little smile and waved at them to go back to the railing where Mr Swann was standing, looking rather lost. However Elizabeth's curiosity hadn't been satisfied:

"Jack... What did you tr....", she started, but immediately Jack shushed her:

"Ye'll know soon enough", he just said and looked at the compass again. However Elizabeth wasn't about to tolerate this secretive beating-around-the-bush talk.

"Don't you shush me, Captain Sparrow!", she said sarcastically and at the same time ignored Will's hand which was trying to find hers to calm her down. Jack seemed quite unaffected.

"You cannot keep us in the dark!", Elizabeth said frustrated and pierced Jack with her gaze. Calm Jack looked up:

"Yes I can and yes I will... Be gone!", Jack said in still calm voice, but Will immediately detected that he was absolutely serious. And as Captain of the Pearl he could turn the ship around at any time he saw fit – and that just couldn't happen. Besides Jack wasn't exactly well-known for keeping promises.

"Jack...!", Elizabeth began, but this time Will grabbed her hand and pulled her with him back to the railing, even though she almost started to fight him in frustration.

"What are you doing?!", Elizabeth almost yelled and pulled her hand away from Will as her eyes blazed with irritation. Will looked at her:

"Please, Elizabeth... Not now... There must be a reason why he won't tell us...", Will said and watched how she looked like she was fighting back tears:

"It is not fair, Will...!", she said and suddenly hugged him tight. Right away Will froze from the unexpected touch – but soon recognized her scent and her gentle touch and he hugged her back. For a moment they just stood there by the railing, hugging each other, as the fresh sea winds ruffled their hair. Will knew instinctively that Elizabeth's sudden emotional eruption really wasn't about what Jack had traded and all of the secrecy... but about what the two of them had been through, especially Will. And it touched him deeply how much she cared. If only she knew how much he cared about her...

"Throw out the anchor!!", Jack's voice suddenly yelled and both Will and Elizabeth jumped and broke the embrace. Looking around they discovered that the little spit of land had grown impressively big without them even noticing. How long had they been hugging? Will, didn't know but he savoured any split second of it. However there was about a mile to shore, which puzzled Will a bit – but when he looked down the answer was clear. Reefs. And lots of them. They would have to row to shore unless they wanted to sink the Pearl. Elizabeth looked at Jack, who was just standing there, kind of frozen, by the wheel... His kohl-rimmed eyes seemed to stare at something a thousand miles away. And it gave Elizabeth the chills.

"Lower the boats!", Jack then yelled as if he had snapped out of his trance-like state.

"AYE!", was the simultaneous answer from the crew and quickly two small vessels were hoisted into the gentle waves of the Caribbean sea. It was a warm day with absolutely no clouds or harsh winds – only thing to be seen on the crystal blue sky was the blazing sun. And a couple of sea gulls, in the air and in the water, feasting on the small sea creatures in the floating sea weed. Mr Gibbs was on his way into one of the boats as commanded by Jack, lowering himself down the side of the Pearl. Will and Elizabeth were on their way to follow him over the railing when they noticed that Jack hadn't moved an inch from the wheel. Elizabeth looked at Will and frowned. None of them had ever seen Jack act like this before...

"Jack? Are you coming?", Will asked from the railing and finally Jack seemed to react as he looked at Will shortly, nodding:

"I'm coming...!", he said as he caressed one of the handles on the wheel carefully. He then turned to the side and headed for the railing where Will was standing, walking surprisingly straight compared to what he usually did. He sent Will a smile as he jumped up on the railing and grabbed a hold of a rope. Elizabeth and Will blinked a few times as he then started to lower himself down into the other boat, slumping against the low railing as soon as he let go of the heavy rope. Shrugging insecurely Will and Elizabeth made their way down too... Will chose the company of Mr Gibbs and Elizabeth chose to row along with Jack. Mr Gibbs nodded concerned at Will as they grabbed the ores and started to row towards the white, sandy beach. Elizabeth sat herself down, looking at Jack who was practically lying in the bottom of the boat, resting the back of his head against the railing as he stared dreamily at the sky. Elizabeth studied him a bit... all of her inner alarm bells were ringing, but she couldn't put her finger on why. But something was off. Jack sighed loudly, blowing air into her face and she immediately cringed... but then she froze, surprised. Jack didn't stink from rum. No alcohol at all. Just plain, normal breath. Her eyes grew a little wider and she looked at him:

"Jack, are you sober?", she asked perplexed and looked as Jack turned his head to look at her:

"Uhm...", Jack said and looked speculative as if he was really trying to think. He then clicked his tongue and looked back up at her:

"As sober as a pirate captain reasonably can be without losing said title", Jack said and got up and grabbed the ores. Elizabeth let out a small, surprised gasp:

"I'm proud of you, Jack", she said and smiled. However Jack was already far gone in thoughts again and began to row, following the other boat which was now a little ahead of them. The rest of the crew remained aboard the Pearl to defend her from others and to greet the adventurers when they came back. As they rowed the sun's hot rays were almost searing their skin and making small droplets of sweat run down their faces. The waves were getting bigger as they neared the shallows and whenever a splash of cool sea water hit them they were grateful for it. Elizabeth was looking down into the bright blue sea, studying the reefs through the completely transparent water. It was a beautiful sight. The cheerful screaming from the gulls was welcome – she missed land already. It would be nice to actually have a solid ground under her feet again. As she stared at the motion of the waves and the depth of the water Elizabeth suddenly jumped and let out a gasp, which made Jack burst out a 'what' – and at the exact same time all of the sea gulls took off, screaming loudly, leaving only a few white feathers on the water. The birds disappeared over land and immediately Jack looked for the other boat ahead of him – and Will and Mr Gibbs were staring too, oblivious to why the gulls had acted that way. However Elizabeth stared into the clear water again to confirm, what she thought she had seen... and yes, several big shadows were moving forwards just below them on the underwater sand bed.

"Jack, what is that??", she almost yelled frantically as she pointed at the dark and pretty fast-moving shadows which were now all around them, moving in the same direction but falling behind a little. Jack peered over the railing... then squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He then sat back upright:

"Bugger", he said and looked at the other boat. Will was raising his arms as if to demand an answer, and Jack yelled:

"Better row faster, gentlemen!!"

Elizabeth's heart was pounding wildly in her chest:

"Jack, what is it?! Is it sharks?", she said in a trembling voice. Sharks were very common in these waters and in general all over the Caribbean. Jack looked back at her with an almost sad glance:

"I guess ye could call it that... that is if sharks have two legs", he mumbled as he tore in the ores, gaining speed fast. Elizabeth shook her head in confusion and looked at the other boat, locking eye contact with Will.

"Jack, what is happening??", Mr Gibbs yelled. Jack turned his head:

"Davy Jones! THAT's what's happening!", Jack yelled back as he seemed to pale even more than before. And without saying anything, all four of them knew that they HAD to beat them to the beach. They just had to.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER XV

Panicky Jack and the three others were tearing at the ores, forcing them to violently cut through the Caribbean sea with big splashes. They were closing in on the beach, but they still had some way to go – and all of them were peering over the railing as soon as they had the chance. The many shadows seemed to be falling behind below Jack's and Elizabeth's boat. After all water is a pretty hard material to move through, and in boats a reasonably high speed could be maintained.

"Jack, how did they find us??", Elizabeth gasped as she also tore at the ores, making her slender arms smart from the effort she put in gaining even more speed. Jack shook his head as he turned his head to see how far away the beach was now:

"They just did", was his short answer, and Elizabeth frowned a bit.

"But...", she began, but Jack cut her off:

"No talk! Just row!", Jack spat annoyed and looked for land again. Now they had actually reached a water depth where a man could stand upright with water only up to his chest. Mr Gibbs and Will's boat buried its belly in the sand just at the same time, and they both jumped out of the small vessel and looked for Jack and Elizabeth. Jack immediately scanned the surroundings with his kohl-rimmed eyes:

"Don't wait for us. Hide!! We'll find ye!", Jack yelled and Mr Gibbs quickly turned around to run for the forest line up the white beach – however Will was hesitating. He couldn't just leave Elizabeth, who was getting closer and closer... he HAD to wait for her.

"Will, come on lad!", Mr Gibbs yelled over his shoulder just as he disappeared into a thick shrubbery behind some tall trees. However Will didn't move, but yelled:

"I will be right there!"

Then finally the other boat came close enough to land for them to jump in – the water reached their knees, and they started running for the beach. Will immediately ran into the water to grab a hold of Elizabeth's hand and together they now ran for the beach, Jack running too but falling behind a little.

"Jack!", Elizabeth yelled just as Will ducked and ran into a little hole in the same shrubbery Mr Gibbs had disappeared into. Here they squatted down and spread some of the dry, small branches in order to get a view of the beach... And simultaneously Jack stormed into the shelter of the shrubbery, almost knocking them over. Elizabeth let out a surprised gasp and looked at the very out-of-breath Jack:

"Oh, thank god, you...!", she began, but this time Will cut her off:

"SHH! Here they come...!", he whispered and all of them stared out at the beach again. The crystal blue water just by the shoreline started to almost bubble like it was boiling. Then an indescribable smell spread in the air... It smelled like dead fish. And then the surface of the water was broken as several heads appeared simultaneously, dripping with something which looked like blue goo and sea water. Elizabeth's eyes widened. These creatures were hideous. Ragged, razor-sharp teeth, green- and bluish skin, bulging fish eyes, deformed fins... And these weird fish creatures now started to walk up onto the beach by the dozen. She had to concentrate not to scream. This was like a nightmare come alive. Terrified she looked at Will, who was squatting just next to her, holding her hand. He looked scared too, but also kind of stern. She then looked at Jack who – on the other hand – was looking rather unaffected by the situation. In other words he looked like he was falling asleep, just looking drowsily from his compass to the monsters coming up from the sea like it was an everyday thing for him. But Elizabeth knew that it wasn't. In the meantime the sea creatures were circling each other, sniffing at the boats and the air... Could they find them?? Could they be seen from there?? Elizabeth's mind was racing, but she knew that if they just sat really still and...

"Did we lose them?", a low whispering voice suddenly said and everyone jumped, making some of the shrubbery's thorny branches crack. Immediately some of the monster heads turned and looked in their direction.

"Mr Gibbs, be quiet!!!", Will whispered hoarsely as he turned his head along with Elizabeth and Jack and discovered Gibbs lying on his stomach on the ground, facing the other way... Apparently he had just thrown himself there, not daring to look. Will then turned his head back and stared directly into the deformed face of what looked like a half-hammerhead shark and half-human creature. Will immediately froze completely, not able to move or speak. His gaze settled as if hypnotized on the ragged shark teeth in the smiling mouth of the creature.

"GOTCHA!", the shark creature then growled in a deep, inhuman voice – breathing heavily into Will's face – and right away Jack and Elizabeth snapped their heads back...

"OH MY GOD!!!", Elizabeth shrieked as she stared into the hideous face.

"Bugger", Jack just mumbled and Mr Gibbs, who was facing the other way, just burst out:

"Well, did we lose them?", he asked enthusiastically and carefully used his elbow to get up a little to turn his head in order to see for himself.

"Are ye deaf, mate?! We've just got caught", Jack said and watched how Mr Gibbs completely paled as he saw the creature with its face inside their hiding place... and the rest of the monsters coming towards them from the beach.

"I'm so sorry, friends... So ends the journey...", Mr Gibbs started, but was suddenly interrupted by Jack:

"Not if I can help it!" – and with these words he planted a solid fist directly in the monster's face, making it howl in pain and stumble backwards.

"RUN!", Jack yelled and this sudden outburst seemed to unfreeze the rest of them. Immediately Will got to his feet, almost violently pulling Elizabeth with him and they stormed past Mr Gibbs, who was also getting up from his lying position in the sandy shrubbery. Jack followed and now all four of them were running through the pricking, dry bushes causing loud cracking noises to spread all the way to the beach. They were now hunted as a dozen of the sea creatures were right on their tail, spraying sand to the sides every time their big, heavy feet hit the sand. Deep growling could be heard behind the fugitives, which only made them gain more speed, even though they were almost being ripped to shreds by the thorns on the small branches of the shrubbery.

"Where are we headed?!", Mr Gibbs yelled, out of breath, and Jack retorted:

"Away!", was all he said under his breath as they continued to run into the forest – it got darker and darker as tall trees shut out the sunlight. Suddenly the shrubbery seemed to finally end and they reached a clearing with lush, green grass under their already sore feet. Panicky all four of them stared to the sides, uncertain in which direction to flee. Jack tore out his compass and stared impatiently at the spinning arrow:

"This way!", he yelled and started running to the right towards the deep forest of the island. Everyone followed him without any questions and soon the forest closed its heavy branches behind them, just as the monsters of the sea broke out of the shrubbery and stopped just where they had been standing seconds earlier. Loud, angry growls could be heard behind them and loud sniffing in the air. Jack, Mr Gibbs, Elizabeth and Will kept running forwards frantically without looking back.

"Keep together!", Jack whispered and they all joined hands as they ran through the tall, green under bush consisting mostly of grass and small, young trees. It seemed like they ran for hours... Sweat was not only dripping, but running down their strained faces. Even though every single sound from the weird creatures had long ago disappeared from behind them, they kept running. They reached another clearing, this one much bigger – and Mr Gibbs suddenly stopped and rested his hands on his knees, totally out of breath. Will and Elizabeth looked back and stopped too:

"We have to keep going! They will catch our scent!", Elizabeth almost shrieked, still almost out of her mind with fear. Mr Gibbs lifted his red face and looked at her:

"I can't go any further... but ye keep going! I'm old and I'm slowing ye down..!", he gasped, but Jack interrupted:

"We've... lost them... I say we take a break... savvy?", he whispered under his breath and also supported his hands on his knees. Everyone then seemed to calm down a little and now all of them were just standing there in the clearing in a small circle, bent forwards gasping for air. Elizabeth and Will sent each other a this time genuine smile of relief.

"We lost them!", Elizabeth gasped and hugged Will. He almost immediately hugged her back, feeling her soft touch. Will was still not entirely comfortable with someone touching him in any way... But Elizabeth had his complete trust. As the only person on this earth, except his father. Which reminded him – they had to find the heart. Kill Davy Jones and set free his father... Then Will thought carefully:

"How do the monsters know where we are??", he asked and Jack snapped his head up, looking at Will:

"Well... because they do...", he just said and in the same second some cracking noises came from the forest line they had just come out of.

"Damn!", Mr Gibbs spat and Elizabeth's eyes grew wide in fear and anger:

"I thought we lost them?!", she almost yelled. Jack shrugged:

"Well, I... Besides Gibbs wanted a wee break, didn't ye?", he asked Mr Gibbs, who simply shook his head in frustration. This was too much for Elizabeth who quickly walked up to Jack:

"You are hiding something, Jack Sparrow! And maybe YOU don't mind dying, but the rest of us happen to have a wish to live!!", she spat and pierced Jack with her light brown stare.

"Aww, easy now, puppet. They haven't got us, have they? Not yet anyway", he said in a plain voice.

"You disgust me!!", Elizabeth yelled and reached for his hand to pull him along with them into the forest on the other side of the clearing. Even though she hated him right now, she couldn't just leave him behind despite of his shady behaviour. But when she grabbed his hand, she accidentally tore at something else – a bandana wrapped around his hand. As Elizabeth ran, the bandana was torn off with a 'riitsch' and she stopped surprised and looked back. What she saw made her stomach turn in fear. Mr Gibbs turned completely white:

"The black spot!!", he gasped in fear and something that resembled awe and stepped backwards. Will's eyes widened. Mr Gibbs looked Jack up and down:

"That's how they can follow us!! They are after YOU, not the chest! Why didn't ye tell?!", he asked and both Elizabeth and Will nodded as they looked at Jack, who just looked kind of sad. He had that dreamy stare again.

"Too early to say", Jack just said in a low tone of voice. Everyone was utterly surprised and couldn't seem to find any words to use. Jack then added:

"Go south-east. I will throw them off yer track...", he said and waved at them to start running. Hesitantly the three of them looked at Jack. Was he really capable of such a selfless act and gesture?? He seemed to have been lying until now... so how could they trust him?

"How do we know that you don't just throw US off the track and find the heart yourself?? You have both the compass and the key", Will said suspiciously and eyed the captain up and down.

"Oh!", Jack burst out as he reached inside his shirt, grabbed the key and threw it to Will, who barely was quick enough to catch it.

"There ye go", Jack said and waved at them again to get moving. The rummaging about in the under bush and the sound of running footsteps were coming closer and closer. It was now or never.

"Thank you", Will said and grabbed Elizabeth's hand – and started running. Mr Gibbs reluctantly followed and picked up the pace gradually. Soon they disappeared into the forest line to the south-east while Jack stood back and watched the forest swallow them in its green darkness. He then ran to the direct south... he had to stay near them, but not too close. Just enough to throw the fishy maniacs off their track. With an aggressive growl the first monster broke out of the forest and looked around – just in time to see Jack Sparrow turn around and mock him by sticking out his tongue with a childish grin and then disappear into the forest. Furious screams filled the air, and immediately the gang of hideous sea creatures stormed after Jack. Apparently the plan was working.


End file.
